U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland is due in Kyiv October 6 to hold talks with senior Ukrainian government leaders.
The State Department said in a statement that Nuland "will discuss the U.S. commitment to assist ongoing reform efforts in Ukraine, the status of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and U.S. support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity."
Nuland's visit comes amid fresh Ukrainian reports of violations of a month-old cease-fire by Russian-backed separatists.
Military spokesman Volodymyr Polyovy said in Kyiv on October 5 that two Ukrainian service staff were killed in the past 24 hours as government forces came under attack in several parts of the east.
In the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk, a senior rebel official, Eduard Basulin, said three pro-Russia fighters were killed in the past 24 hours, mainly in fighting around the airport, which is controlled by the Ukrainian military.
Rebels have been trying for weeks to dislodge government troops from the airport.
With additional reporting by Reuters and AFP