KIEV, Ukraine
At least 14 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 172 others were wounded Thursday, Ukrainian officials have claimed.
Clashes continued in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russia separatists despite a cease-fire signed in Minsk on Feb. 12.
Ukraine's Counterterrorism Center spokesperson Andriy Lysenko claimed that pro-Russian rebels violated the cease-fire deal at least 253 times since the Minsk cease-fire agreement came into effect last Saturday.
A statement from the Ukrainian General Staff said on Thursday that 90 of its soldiers were held captive by pro-Russian separatists and contact was lost with 82 others.
Many rebels were also held captive by Ukrainian soldiers as they left Debaltseve, the country’s eastern railway hub.
Lysenko said the separatists did not agree on a prisoner swap, which he said was against the Minsk deal.
The United Nations Security Council has called on all parties in eastern Ukraine to abide by the cease-fire accord.
Lysenko, speaking of an "unknown number of Ukrainian soldiers held captive in Debaltseve," said they were trying to save the captives.
Ukrainian military spokesman Anatoliy Stelmakh, meanwhile, said most of Kiev’s soldiers left Debaltseve as of Thursday morning.
Police officials had said on Tuesday that separatists captured part of Debaltseve, and that a number of Ukrainian troops were captured by the rebels.
