KIEV, Feb 23 (Reuters) – The Ukrainian army announced on Wednesday the death of a government soldier in shelling by pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.
Six other soldiers were injured, she added.
The Ukrainian army says it has recorded 96 incidents triggered by separatist fire in the past 24 hours, against 84 the day before. She accused the secessionists of using cannons, mortars and Grad rockets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized the independence of the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk and announced on Tuesday the failure of the Minsk agreements signed in 2015 to establish a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden saw in these initiatives the beginning of an invasion of Ukraine by Russia justifying the establishment of a first salvo of Western sanctions against Moscow. (Report Pavel Polityuk; French version Jean-Stphane Brosse)