Ukraine government forces have fired mortar shells at four locations within rebel-held territory, Russia-backed separatist groups said.
The claim has been denied by Ukrainian officials, who said their positions were fired upon by Russia using prohibited weapons and that Ukraine did not retaliate.
These are the first reports of heavy munitions being used in the conflict for more than a month now, and come at a time of high tension between Russia on one side and Ukraine and its western allies on the other.
Just hours before the claimed ceasefire breach, US officials warned that Russia could be looking for a “pretext” to take military action and invade Ukraine “at any moment”.
Elsewhere, Nato warned that Russia’s show of force with Ukraine “is the new normal in Europe” and that the bloc’s members are looking to ramp up forces in eastern Europe after seeing no sign of Russian de-escalation.
Nato’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said defence ministers were considering “establishing new Nato battlegroups in central and eastern and southeastern Europe” but added it was “not too late for Russia to step back from the brink of conflict and choose the path of peace”.
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