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Ukraine crisis: Shelling spreads despite ceasefire

Shelling is reported from several places in eastern Ukraine despite the official ceasefire between government forces and pro-Russia rebels.

Artillery fire could be heard in the region's biggest city, Donetsk, where the truce had been observed so far.

Ukrainian military sources also accused rebels of shelling positions near the port city of Mariupol.

The fighting comes as Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany held further talks over the phone.

Most of the renewed fighting in Donetsk appears to be in the north of the city towards the airport.

The BBC's Ian Pannell, who is in the city, says it sounds like shells are being fired in both directions, although that cannot be verified.

Further south, a spokesman for the Ukrainian government forces said rebel units had attacked the village of Shirokyne, killing one soldier, with shells also fired towards Mariupol.

The government-held port city of Mariupol is in a highly strategic position, sitting between rebel-held eastern areas and Crimea, which Russia annexed nearly a year ago.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) - which is charged with monitoring the ceasefire - also reported more shelling near the embattled town of Debaltseve which observers have not been able to reach.

These rebels took up a position in Uglegorsk, near Debaltseve, on Thursday

The town, a railway hub that links the two rebel-held cities of Luhansk and Donetsk, fell to the rebels on Wednesday.

Semen Semenchenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament who leads the volunteer Donbass Battalion, told the BBC he blamed the fall of Debaltseve on the Ukrainian army command and called for it to be overhauled.

"I can assure you that we lost Debaltseve not because of the Russian military advantage, but because our generals refuse to take responsibility," he said.

He also reiterated calls for the West to send arms to Ukraine.

"I believe if we don't stop the Russian military machine now the West would have to interfere later, but it would be more serious," he said.

Ukrainian government forces pulled out of Debaltseve on Wednesday

The continued fighting prompted talks over the phone on Thursday between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, who negotiated the ceasefire deal in Minsk last week.

The French presidency said afterwards the leaders had called for "the implementation of the full package of measures agreed in Minsk" including a full ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons and the release of prisoners.

A statement issued by the Kremlin stressed the need to ensure a ceasefire and said all sides were ready to support the work of the OSCE mission in Ukraine.

After government forces withdrew from Debaltseve on Wednesday, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko called for a UN-mandated peacekeeping force to enforce the ceasefire.

But Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin denounced the call as a destructive move.

See more..http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31535512