Kiev - The leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia on Thursday pledged renewed support for a tattered ceasefire in eastern Ukraine despite violations -- including the storming of a key town by pro-Russian rebels.
As the leaders condemned the fighting and urged both sides to observe the truce, there was strident opposition from the separatists and Moscow to a plea from Ukraine for international peacekeepers to enforce the ceasefire.
Washington said pro-Russian rebels had broken the ceasefire more than 250 times since it came into force on Sunday.
The Ukrainian army, meanwhile, said 90 troops had been captured and 82 were still missing after the rebels seized the strategic town of Debaltseve.
The seizure of the town, a transport hub sandwiched between the rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Lugansk, sent government troops into retreat.
The insurgents claimed to have captured as many as 300 government soldiers.
One of the rebel leaders, Alexander Zakharchenko, said that 3,000 to 3,500 troops died in the assault, although such casualty counts on both sides are often greatly exaggerated for propaganda effect.
"Let Kiev take their dead," he said.
AFP
