LUHANSKE, Ukraine— Fierce fighting raged on Friday in east Ukraine between government troops and Russian-backed separatists as the warring sides attempted to bolster their positions ahead of a weekend cease-fire deadline.
Combat persisted in the first hours after the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France signed a peace deal Thursday in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had cautiously described the agreement as “a glimmer of hope.”
The most intense battles were for control of the railway hub of Debaltseve, which the press service for government military operations in the east said was targeted 25 times Thursday by …read more
Source: The Epoch Times
