Fresh fighting threatens Ukraine truce deal

INTENSE fighting has been reported in eastern Ukraine, a day after a peace deal was reached in Minsk.

The fiercest battles were over control of the town of Debaltseve, a strategic town in between rebel-held areas.

Shelling was reported in Donetsk and Luhansk – rebel bastions near the front line where the pro-Russian rebels face government forces.

The ceasefire agreed in the Belarusian capital is to begin in eastern Ukraine after midnight (22:00 GMT) on Saturday.

The EU has warned Russia of additional sanctions if the deal is not respected.

BBC journalists in Donetsk heard new shelling on Friday morning, though they said it sounded less intense than in recent days.

Luhansk also came under bombardment overnight – with Russian TV reporting some of the heaviest fighting in months.

But Ukraine’s army said the most ferocious fighting centred on Debaltseve, a railway junction where pro-Russian rebels have encircled government troops and are reportedly bombarding them in a last-ditch effort to win the town.