Ukrainian forces failed to break through the encirclement, and both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire.

The Ukrainian army said on February 15 that its forces had been attacked up to 60 times in the hours since the ceasefire came into effect.

Ukrainian army spokesman Anatoliy Stelmakh said that the strategic town of Debaltseve remains the scene of the most clashes and that separatist forces have fired Grad rockets at government positions there.

Separatist fighters belonging to the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic. (Photo: qz.com)

According to Stelmak, although shelling continues around Debaltseve, the overall level of fighting around the conflict zone has decreased significantly since the ceasefire came into effect at 10 p.m. GMT on February 14.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the separatists accused Kiev government troops of shelling rebel positions in an unsuccessful attempt to break the siege around Debaltseve.

In a related development, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on the same day that separatist forces in eastern Ukraine had denied its observers access to the town of Debaltseve. The rebels claimed the ceasefire did not apply in Debaltseve, which has seen some of the most intense fighting in recent weeks.

According to VNA