From our newsroom:
Ukrainian officials say Russian-backed separatists have violated a cease-fire by shelling government positions in eastern Ukraine, including near the southeastern port of Mariupol.
Army spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov said in Kyiv on March 10 that in the past day separatists had fired upon the Donetsk region towns of Pisky, Vodyane, Tonenke, Opytne, Avdiivka, Troitsk, Luhanske, and near the Dutivska mine.
In the Luhansk region, he said rebels attacked army positions in Sokolnyky and Krymske.
Ukrainian officials said mortars and tanks attacked the village of Shyrokyne, near Mariupol, for several hours late on March 9, but were repelled.
A self-declared rebel defense official, Eduard Basurin, said Ukrainian forces had also violated the cease-fire with attacks.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said 64 soldiers had died since the Minsk cease-fire agreement went into effect on February 15.
The conflict has killed more than 6,000 people since April.
Based on reporting by UNIAN and pravda.com.ru
From Ukrainian military authorities.
From our newsroom:
Russia has asked European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to explain his recent proposal to establish a European Union army.
"We would like to understand what this idea means because European politicians have already addressed this issue at different levels in the past 30 years. But it is difficult to guess what Juncker meant this time," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksei Meshkov said on March 10.
Juncker said on March 8 that the EU should create its own army in order to be able to respond to security threats facing the EU's member states and neighboring countries.
"A common army among the Europeans would convey to Russia that we are serious about defending the values of the European Union," Juncker told Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
He said it would also be more cost-effective and help drive the EU toward a common foreign and security policy, and downplayed concerns it might undercut NATO's role.
However, the idea of an EU army has been rejected in the past.
Based on reporting by Interfax and Reuters
From our newsroom, more Lavrov sarcasm:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has suggested the West should impose sanctions on Kyiv to further a deal to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Speaking on March 10, Lavrov accused Ukraine of reneging on commitments he said it made under the February 12 deal reached in Minsk for a cease-fire and steps toward peace between the government and Russian-backed rebels.
Lavrov said that "full implementation of the Minsk agreements is essentially being blocked by the Kyiv authorities."
"I don't know what instruments of pressure on Kyiv the Americans and Europeans have," he said. "But maybe [they should] impose their favorite mechanism of sanctions on Kyiv in this case."
The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia over its interference in Ukraine and support for the separatists.
Lavrov claimed Kyiv has cast doubt on what he said were obligations to organize an amnesty and create "working groups" including rebels to discuss economic, political, and humanitarian issues.
More details, via our newsroom, of the latest flurry of fighting despite the cease-fire:
Ukraine Says Rebels Violating Cease-Fire
