REUTERS

"Over the last day, we have lost nine Ukrainian soldiers, and another 29 were injured as a result of military clashes," he said.

The fighting in eastern Ukraine has worsened significantly in the last few weeks, with the Russian-backed militants launching fresh attacks on Donetsk airport, areas north of the city of Luhansk, and the town of Debaltseve.

The government-held town of Mariupol was attacked with rockets on Saturday, and 30 civilians were killed. The OSCE and other experts determined that the rockets were fired from militant-controlled areas.

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