5 Ukrainian security forces killed despite ceasefire, army official says

By Frederik Pleitgen and Holly Yan, CNN

Updated 1323 GMT (2123 HKT) February 16, 2015

Ukrainian security forces patrol in the village of Bobrovyshche on July 14, 2015. More than 6,400 people have been killed in the conflict in Ukraine since April 2014, the United Nations says.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Ukrainian security forces patrol in the village of Bobrovyshche on July 14, 2015. More than 6,400 people have been killed in the conflict in Ukraine since April 2014, the United Nations says.
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Ukrainian security forces on the lookout in Bobrovyshche on July 14. The country's troops face daily attacks from Russian-backed separatists despite a ceasefire being in place.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Ukrainian security forces on the lookout in Bobrovyshche on July 14. The country's troops face daily attacks from Russian-backed separatists despite a ceasefire being in place.
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A man with a machine gun is among the Ukrainian troops standing guard in Krimskoe town of Luhansk, Ukraine, on June 25.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
A man with a machine gun is among the Ukrainian troops standing guard in Krimskoe town of Luhansk, Ukraine, on June 25.
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Shelling between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels leaves damage in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Monday, June 1.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Shelling between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels leaves damage in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Monday, June 1.
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A Ukrainian serviceman fires a grenade launcher on the front lines near Donetsk on Saturday, May 30.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
A Ukrainian serviceman fires a grenade launcher on the front lines near Donetsk on Saturday, May 30.
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Pro-Russian rebels carry the coffin of <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/24/europe/ukraine-separatist-commander-killed/index.html">prominent separatist commander Alexei Mozgovoi</a> during his funeral in Alchevsk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, May 27.
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Pro-Russian rebels carry the coffin of prominent separatist commander Alexei Mozgovoi during his funeral in Alchevsk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, May 27.
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An American soldier, right, trains Ukrainian troops on Tuesday, April 21, near Yavoriv, Ukraine. Operation Fearless Guardian, a six-month training exercise, involves about 300 members of the American 173rd Airborne and about 900 Ukrainian National Guard troops.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
An American soldier, right, trains Ukrainian troops on Tuesday, April 21, near Yavoriv, Ukraine. Operation Fearless Guardian, a six-month training exercise, involves about 300 members of the American 173rd Airborne and about 900 Ukrainian National Guard troops.
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Residents flee with salvaged belongings during renewed fighting in the Jabunki neighborhood near the airport in Donetsk on Monday, April 13.
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Residents flee with salvaged belongings during renewed fighting in the Jabunki neighborhood near the airport in Donetsk on Monday, April 13.
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A mortar round sticks out of the ground near a destroyed tank at a former Ukrainian army checkpoint outside Chornukhyne, Ukraine, on Monday, March 2. Russian-backed separatists had recently overran the area.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
A mortar round sticks out of the ground near a destroyed tank at a former Ukrainian army checkpoint outside Chornukhyne, Ukraine, on Monday, March 2. Russian-backed separatists had recently overran the area.
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An instructor of the Ukrainian volunteer Azov Battalion conducts training exercises in Kiev, Ukraine, on Sunday, March 1.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
An instructor of the Ukrainian volunteer Azov Battalion conducts training exercises in Kiev, Ukraine, on Sunday, March 1.
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A woman makes her way across a bridge destroyed in heavy fighting in Donetsk, Ukraine, on March 1.
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A woman makes her way across a bridge destroyed in heavy fighting in Donetsk, Ukraine, on March 1.
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A volunteer gives humanitarian aid to residents of Popasna, Ukraine, on Saturday, February 28.
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A volunteer gives humanitarian aid to residents of Popasna, Ukraine, on Saturday, February 28.
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A Ukrainian serviceman climbs out of a tank at a checkpoint near Horlivka, Ukraine, on Monday, February 23.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
A Ukrainian serviceman climbs out of a tank at a checkpoint near Horlivka, Ukraine, on Monday, February 23.
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A member of a Ukrainian military medical unit cries during a ceremony in Artemivsk, Ukraine, on February 23. Four of his comrades were killed near Debaltseve, Ukraine.
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A member of a Ukrainian military medical unit cries during a ceremony in Artemivsk, Ukraine, on February 23. Four of his comrades were killed near Debaltseve, Ukraine.
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A man holds a Ukrainian flag as he covers a victim of an explosion in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, February 22. The explosion during a peaceful protest left two dead and 15 wounded.
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A man holds a Ukrainian flag as he covers a victim of an explosion in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, February 22. The explosion during a peaceful protest left two dead and 15 wounded.
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Pro-Russian rebels stationed in Horlivka launch missiles on Wednesday, February 18.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Pro-Russian rebels stationed in Horlivka launch missiles on Wednesday, February 18.
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Pro-Russian separatists take position near Uglegorsk, Ukraine, on February 18.
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Pro-Russian separatists take position near Uglegorsk, Ukraine, on February 18.
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An army ambulance damaged in recent shelling lies by a road near Svitlodarsk, Ukraine, on Sunday, February 15.
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An army ambulance damaged in recent shelling lies by a road near Svitlodarsk, Ukraine, on Sunday, February 15.
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Ukrainian servicemen play with a soccer ball on a road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve on February 15.
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Ukrainian servicemen play with a soccer ball on a road between Svitlodarsk and Debaltseve on February 15.
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A woman salvages items February 15 from the rubble of a destroyed clinic where she had worked in Opytne, Ukraine.
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A woman salvages items February 15 from the rubble of a destroyed clinic where she had worked in Opytne, Ukraine.
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People carry a refrigerator through a balcony at an apartment building that was damaged in recent shelling in Svitlodarsk on February 15.
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People carry a refrigerator through a balcony at an apartment building that was damaged in recent shelling in Svitlodarsk on February 15.
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A recent ceasefire was brokered during marathon talks in Minsk, Belarus. From left, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gather before negotiations begin on Wednesday, February 11.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
A recent ceasefire was brokered during marathon talks in Minsk, Belarus. From left, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gather before negotiations begin on Wednesday, February 11.
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People stand beside the body of a woman killed during shelling in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on Tuesday, February 10.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
People stand beside the body of a woman killed during shelling in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on Tuesday, February 10.
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A volunteer gets a medical checkup at a military base for pro-Russian rebels February 10 in Donetsk, Ukraine.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
A volunteer gets a medical checkup at a military base for pro-Russian rebels February 10 in Donetsk, Ukraine.
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Ukrainian volunteer fighters and policemen arrest two men in Kiev, Ukraine, on February 9. The men allegedly arrived from Donetsk and were suspected of participating in pro-Russian rebel activities and organizing terrorist attacks in the Ukrainian capital.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Ukrainian volunteer fighters and policemen arrest two men in Kiev, Ukraine, on February 9. The men allegedly arrived from Donetsk and were suspected of participating in pro-Russian rebel activities and organizing terrorist attacks in the Ukrainian capital.
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Residents unload humanitarian aid in Debaltseve on Friday, February 6.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Residents unload humanitarian aid in Debaltseve on Friday, February 6.
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A man rides a bicycle in Vuhlehirsk, Ukraine, on February 6.
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A man rides a bicycle in Vuhlehirsk, Ukraine, on February 6.
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A child waits on a bus to leave Debaltseve on Tuesday, February 3, after increased fighting in the region.
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A child waits on a bus to leave Debaltseve on Tuesday, February 3, after increased fighting in the region.
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A man stands next to his car in Donetsk on Sunday, February 1, after it was destroyed by shelling.
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A man stands next to his car in Donetsk on Sunday, February 1, after it was destroyed by shelling.
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The body of a civilian killed during shelling lies on the ground in Donetsk on Friday, January 30.
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The body of a civilian killed during shelling lies on the ground in Donetsk on Friday, January 30.
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People in Mariupol, Ukraine, pour soil into the grave of a recent shelling victim on Monday, January 26.
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People in Mariupol, Ukraine, pour soil into the grave of a recent shelling victim on Monday, January 26.
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Ukrainian servicemen prepare ammunition at a position on the front line near Mariupol on January 26.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Ukrainian servicemen prepare ammunition at a position on the front line near Mariupol on January 26.
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A man injured during shelling in Mariupol sits in an emergency hospital on January 26.
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A man injured during shelling in Mariupol sits in an emergency hospital on January 26.
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A piece of an exploded missile sits lodged in the ground outside an apartment building in the Vostochniy district of Mariupol on Sunday, January 25.
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A piece of an exploded missile sits lodged in the ground outside an apartment building in the Vostochniy district of Mariupol on Sunday, January 25.
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A resident walks by a burning building in Mariupol on Saturday, January 24.
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A resident walks by a burning building in Mariupol on Saturday, January 24.
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A pro-Russian rebel takes cover from shelling in the Kievsky district of Donetsk on Thursday, January 22.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
A pro-Russian rebel takes cover from shelling in the Kievsky district of Donetsk on Thursday, January 22.
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People in downtown Donetsk react as Ukrainian prisoners of war are handed over by pro-Russian rebels on January 22.
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People in downtown Donetsk react as Ukrainian prisoners of war are handed over by pro-Russian rebels on January 22.
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A trolleybus is damaged in Donetsk's Lenin District after its station was hit by a shell on January 22.
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A trolleybus is damaged in Donetsk's Lenin District after its station was hit by a shell on January 22.
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A rebel takes aim while protecting a supply position in the Kievsky district of Donetsk on January 22.
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A rebel takes aim while protecting a supply position in the Kievsky district of Donetsk on January 22.
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Rubble and debris cover the airport in Donetsk on Wednesday, January 21.
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Rubble and debris cover the airport in Donetsk on Wednesday, January 21.
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49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
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Vladimir Bovrichev cries next to the body of his 4-year-old son, Artiam, during Artiam's funeral on the outskirts of Donetsk on Tuesday, January 20. The boy was killed during a Ukrainian artillery strike.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Vladimir Bovrichev cries next to the body of his 4-year-old son, Artiam, during Artiam's funeral on the outskirts of Donetsk on Tuesday, January 20. The boy was killed during a Ukrainian artillery strike.
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Women sit in a shelter during a battle in Donetsk on Sunday, January 18.
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Women sit in a shelter during a battle in Donetsk on Sunday, January 18.
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A building hit by Ukrainian artillery is seen in the Voroshilovsky area of Donetsk on January 18.
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A building hit by Ukrainian artillery is seen in the Voroshilovsky area of Donetsk on January 18.
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Men from the Azov Volunteer Battalion board a bus in Kiev to join the fight against the rebels on Saturday, January 17.
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Men from the Azov Volunteer Battalion board a bus in Kiev to join the fight against the rebels on Saturday, January 17.
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Rebels sit atop a tank at a checkpoint north of Luhansk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, January 14.
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Rebels sit atop a tank at a checkpoint north of Luhansk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, January 14.
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A Ukrainian soldier looks down from a military truck at the Donetsk airport on Tuesday, January 6. The airport has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in eastern Ukraine.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
A Ukrainian soldier looks down from a military truck at the Donetsk airport on Tuesday, January 6. The airport has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in eastern Ukraine.
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gives a speech as he hands over new military equipment to forces near the city of Ghytomyr, Ukraine, on Monday, January 5.
49 photos: Crisis in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gives a speech as he hands over new military equipment to forces near the city of Ghytomyr, Ukraine, on Monday, January 5.
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A Ukrainian volunteer fighter fires a machine gun at pro-Russian rebels near the village of Pisky, Ukraine, on Saturday, January 3.
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A Ukrainian volunteer fighter fires a machine gun at pro-Russian rebels near the village of Pisky, Ukraine, on Saturday, January 3.
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Story highlights

  • A Ukrainian defense spokesman reports 129 violations of the ceasefire so far
  • Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists are supposed to withdraw heavy weapons Monday

Mariupol, Ukraine (CNN)Less than two days into a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, deadly violence erupted once again between the military and pro-Russian separatists, casting further doubt about whether the peace plan will hold.

Five Ukrainian security forces were killed and 25 were wounded in fighting with the separatists, Ukrainian defense spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.

He said at least 129 violations of the ceasefire have already taken place -- ranging from small arms fire to mortar attacks. But pro-Russian separatists have also blamed Ukraine for violations.

Official: Ukrainian forces killed amid ceasefire
Official: Ukrainian forces killed amid ceasefire

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Official: Ukrainian forces killed amid ceasefire 01:39

Dmytro Chalov, a spokesman for a sector of the Ukrainian army, said mortar fire pummeled the Mariupol area of eastern Ukraine.

The ceasefire went into effect more than 24 hours earlier, at midnight Saturday night.

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    Monday was slated to be a key day in the truce -- when both sides are supposed to withdraw heavy weapons. But neither has done so.

    The Ukrainian army still has plans to pull heavy weapons out of the area, but it won't happen until the situation is quiet, Chalov said.

    "We emphasize that our military will only fire in response," Lysenko told reporters Monday.

    The ceasefire aims to end 10 months of fighting in eastern Ukraine. But less than 90 minutes after it started, Ukrainian officials reported mortar shelling at a military post near Zolote in the Luhansk region.

    How the shaky ceasefire looks from a heavily contested city
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    How the shaky ceasefire looks from a heavily contested city 02:17

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has warned that if the separatists do not abide by the ceasefire, he will impose martial law throughout Ukraine.

    Despite the reports of violence Monday, the truce did appear to hold up in many parts of eastern Ukraine. And that means some residents who have been holed up for weeks were able to venture out to buy food and medicine.

    But the future remains uncertain.

    "How long can this bloodshed go on for?" one woman told CNN. "All we want is peace."

    Frederik Pleitgen reported from Mariupol, and Holly Yan wrote from Atlanta.