Fighting raged in Ukraine on Friday as the clock ticked down to a ceasefire that will be a first test of the commitment by Kiev and pro-Russian separatists to a freshly-inked peace plan. At least 27 civilians and soldiers died in shelling as German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Russia it risked fresh sanctions if the fighting did not stop.
With separatists fighting to conquer more territory ahead of the truce and Kiev forces digging in, there were also doubts about whether anyone would observe from Sunday midnight ceasefire vital to the success of the peace roadmap. The fresh fighting came after rebels and Kiev agreed to the wide-ranging plan on Thursday after marathon talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany. Ukraine`s deputy Defence Minister Petro Mekhed accused the rebels of wanting to “raise their flag” over railway hub Debaltseve.