http://www.jutarnji.hr/proruski-pobunjenici-pokusavaju-zauzeti-sto-vise-teritorija-prije-primirja/1295136/

The rebels have advancing far over the line of separation as per Ukrainian army stated today that there is no slowdown in the pro-Russian rebel offensive in eastern Ukraine who are trying to take as much territory before the truce takes effect at midnight today (23 pm CET).

Ceasefire agreement provides for the establishment of a buffer zone and the withdrawal of heavy weapons responsible for the deaths of more than 5,000 people in the conflict that broke out almost a year ago.

"The rebels are trying to finish, before midnight, important tactical plans to expand the territory under their control, in particular in the direction Debalceva," said a spokesman for the Ukrainian army Andriy Lysenko at a briefing in Kiev.

Debalcevo, strategic traffic intersection northeast of the city of Donetsk is supervised by pro-Russian rebels, and it is in the center of the fiercest fighting in recent weeks.

Lysenko said that the rebels are receiving help in soldiers and military equipment across the Russia Ukraine border. Moscow persistently denies supplying insurgents by weapons and soldiers, although Western officials cite the clear evidence for it.

The rebels were advancing far over the separating line of the earlier agreement on a ceasefire that was agreed last September in Minsk, and new agreement requires to withdraw their heavy weapons for about 75 km while the Ukrainian heavy weapons are to be withdrawn 25 km.

Seven Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 23 wounded in fighting in the previous 24 hours, said Lysenko.

The clashes raged around the Debalceva railway junction halfway between rebel center of Donetsk and Luhansk and around strategic ports of Mariupol on the shores of the Sea of Azov, according the Ukrainian army.

The Ukrainian army claimed that there was an "attempted rebel attack with multi-barreled rocket launcher and tanks" on positions on the southeastern edge of Debalceva, the scene of intense fighting in weeks where the Ukrainian troops are almost surrounded.

State at these hot spots and near the ruins of the Donetsk airport will be a test for a ceasefire, negotiated agreement that was signed in Minsk 2 on Thursday after diplomatic marathon between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande.

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Azov Volunteers : 'Armoured vehicles without tags penetrated the Ukrainian territory'

Azov Volunteer Regiment that defends Mariupol, on the other hand said that "armored vehicles without identification signs penetrated the Ukrainian territory from Novoazovsk", a coastal town on the border with Russia, that is under the supervision of the Russian rebels 30 km from Mariupol. "The enemy has started attacking our positions in Širokinu. They use tanks and artillery," states Azov.

Širokin is located at 10 km from Mariupol. In Mariupol, artillery fire echoed on Saturday morning witnessing the closeness of the conflict.

Russia is concerned that Kiev and the West "distort" the ceasefire agreement

Russia has expressed "serious concern" on Saturday for attempts of Kiev and the West to "distort" the ceasefire agreements in Ukraine, which was concluded on Thursday in Minsk after marathon negotiations between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry .

"Serious concern is that the official representatives of the Ukrainian side, in the statements of the Minister of Foreign Affairs PA Klimkin, as well as several other Western states, especially the United States, stood by the view of radical nationalists in the Ukrainian Parliament and started working to distort the content of the agreement from Minsk, bringing under question specific provisions of the document that was approved by the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine ", according to a statement on the ministry's website.

While representatives of the (rebel strongholds) of Donetsk and Luhansk talk about their responsibilities for the implementation of commitments, our concern arises a series of statements of Ukrainian politicians in Kiev, the statement added.

"We reiterate that the main message of the agreement from Minsk that it is necessary to stop the conflict, remove heavy weapons and start the constitutional reform in Ukraine. We expect that all signatories of the agreement ... and by supporting the process of mine, do everything for the agreement reached strictly conduct. "

Ministry reiterates its call on the warring parties to the full implementation of the commitments.

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IZAKOVIC