Ukraine's Zelenskiy says called Putin after 4 soldiers killed

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had a phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Wednesday morning following the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers in shelling in the eastern Donbass region. Zelenskiy called on Putin to exert influence over the Donbass fighters. He also said Putin had promised him something, details of which would be disclosed later.

The conflict between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed forces has killed 13,000 people since 2014. A ceasefire agreement, involving Russia and Ukraine and brokered by France and Germany, ended the major conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2015, although regular small-scale clashes have still cost lives.