A ceasefire between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian Government troops appeared to be largely holding on Monday in eastern Ukraine, a day after shelling and clashes rattled nerves and imperiled the peace deal.
In a surprise announcement, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was travelling on Monday to the embattled coastal city of Mariupol, the regional administration of Donetsk said.
That trip would be a symbolic show of strength in a strategic Government-held area that has come under rebel fire in recent days, and proves Kiev is unlikely to willingly loosen what remains of its grip over the rebellious east.
The city council of Donetsk said there had been no reported casualties overnight and it expected public transport to be running on Tuesday. No shelling or explosions were heard overnight in downtown Donetsk.
Col Andriy lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s National Security Council, told reporters on Monday there had been about half a dozen rebel violations of the cease-fire. But he said no servicemen had been killed in the past day and rebel forces had stopped using heavy artillery, only mortar and rifle fire.
“That’s a big achievement,”he said. “We understand that the cease-fire imposes some discipline to our enemies and also allows our military to bring its reserves closer.”