Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says the situation in eastern Ukraine has recently worsened and the country's security and territorial integrity are being threatened.
Poroshenko told a session of the National Security and Defense Council in Kyiv on November 11 that attempts by the Russian-backed separatists in parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions to "foil the Minsk agreements" and to "provoke the Ukrainian military with acts of sabotage" are endangering national security.
Poroshenko's comments come on the same day that Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko reported the death of a soldier near the village of Hranitne, 50 kilometers south of the city of Donetsk.
Lysenko said five other Ukrainian soldiers were wounded after coming under fire from small arms and grenades in the past 24 hours.
He added that there were 21 cease-fire violations by the separatists registered by Ukrainian officials and that Kyiv forces had returned fire.
Separatist military officials have also reported attacks by Ukrainian troops in recent days.
A renewed cease-fire at the beginning of September was largely observed by both sides until recently as heavy weapons were withdrawn from many parts of the frontline.
"Russian occupation forces are doing everything to derail the peace plan.... And they can renew military actions at any moment," said Oleksandr Turchynov, the head of Ukraine's Security and Defense Council.
