Ukraine fighting rages despite efforts to revive truce

Clashes erupt across country's east a day after rebels force thousands of troops to withdraw from strategic town.

 

Renewed fighting has occured in eastern Ukraine despite European efforts to revive a fresh ceasefire, a day after pro-Russian separatists who spurned the truce forced thousands of government troops to withdraw from the strategic town of Debaltseve.
Artillery was still raining down near Debaltseve, a railway hub, on Thursday, and the Ukrainian military said its troops had come under fire elsewhere from rebels.
Western nations have refused to give up on a peace deal negotiated last week even though rebels disavowed it to seize Debaltseve.
Thousands of besieged Ukrainian troops pulled out of the town on Wednesday in one of the worst defeats for the Kiev government of a 10-month war that has killed more than 5,000 people.
European and US officials have expressed the hope that the ceasefire can now take effect, with rebels that are fighting for territory the Kremlin calls "New Russia" halting their advance having achieved their main objective in Debaltseve.
But Reuters journalists in Vuhlehirsk, a rebel held town near Debaltseve, said artillery was still thundering down in the area, although with less intensity than the previous day.
'No words to describe it'
In Artemivsk, a government-held town north of Debaltseve where Ukrainian troops arrived after evacuating the besieged town, soldiers spoke of their flight under gunfire as they withdrew on Wednesday.
"There are no words to describe it. Along the entire way we were blanketed with shots, wherever there were trees they fired at us from machine guns and grenade launchers. They used everything," said Vadim, a soldier from Ukraine's 30th brigade.
At least 13 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and dozens more went missing in the fighting in Debaltseve since the ceasefire earlier this week.
Local military officials said rebels had launched mortar attacks on government-held positions further south, near the coastal city of Mariupol, and were building up forces there.
"Right now there are mortar attacks on Shyrokine," a local military spokesman said by phone, referring to a village about 30 km (19 miles) east of Mariupol, along the coast of the Sea of Azov.
'Bringing up rebel reserves'
"There is no attempt to seize our positions up to now. The rebels are bringing up reserves," the spokesman said.
Mariupol, a port of 500,000 people, is the biggest government-held city in the two rebellious provinces, and Kiev's biggest fear is that rebels will try to capture it.
Western countries say Russia is behind the rebel advance, having deployed thousands of troops with advanced weaponry into eastern Ukraine to fight on the separatists' behalf.
Moscow denies it is behind the fighting. It sponsored a UN Security Council resolution calling for all sides to stop firing but never criticized the rebels for advancing on Debaltseve. President Vladimir Putin told Ukraine hours before the town fell that it should allow its troops there to surrender.
The rebels have said Debaltseve is the only place where the ceasefire does not apply, and have suggested they now intend to implement the truce. They have announced that they are pulling back some heavy weapons, which is required under the peace deal.
The deal was agreed at all night talks last week in the Belarus capital Minsk, with the leaders of France and Germany mediating between Putin and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko.