Germany, Russia, Ukraine "agree steps" on cease-fire:
Berlin says the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Germany have agreed on "concrete measures" to allow OSCE observers to monitor a shaky cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said the measures were agreed during a phone call late on February 16.
Seibert said Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to "exercise his influence on the separatists to enforce the cease-fire."
He added that the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line should be started on February 17, as agreed in Minsk last week.
Kyiv said it would not pull back until fighting ended around the town of Debaltseve.
Pro-Russian separatists said the truce agreement did not apply in Debaltseve.
Ukraine's government said the rebels launched more than 110 assaults on its troops' positions since the truce came into effect on February 15. (AFP and Reuters)
Ukrainian government forces say they came under mortar and artillery fire on February 16 despite a truce that went into effect with Russian-backed separatists a day earlier. RFE/RL correspondent Levko Stek was with the government troops in the village of Mironovsky and reported the road to the strategic town of Debaltseve was blocked. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
Both sides stall on pulling out heavy weapons as fighting continues:
Ukraine's government and pro-Russian separatists have failed to begin pulling back heavy weapons from the front line.
Under a cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk last week, the sides were to begin withdrawing the weapons on February 17.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military said the rebels launched 15 attacks overnight against its positions around Debaltseve.
Kyiv said five soldiers have been killed in the past 24 hours, most of them near the town.
The separatists said the army breached the truce 17 times in Donetsk region in the past 24 hours.
Berlin said the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Germany agreed on "concrete measures" to allow OSCE observers to monitor the shaky cease-fire.
A German government spokesman said the measures were agreed during a phone call late on February 16. (AP,AFP,Reuters)