Rebels claim to capture key Ukraine rail hub of Debaltseve

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4. Ukraine fighting escalates on day three of ceasefire

Berlin/Kiev (dpa) - Fighting escalated in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, only hours after German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the implementation of a three-day old ceasefire with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko.

The Russia-backed separatists said they had taken large parts of Debaltseve, the streategic rail hub where thousands of Ukrainian government soldiers had been encircled for days.

The separatists control the train station and eastern parts of the city, the rebel-run Donetsk News Agency quoted militia leaders as saying. The report claimed that many Ukrainian soldiers were either killed or gave themselves up.

Ukraine's Security Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said that heavy battles were ongoing at the railway station and the city's outskirts. "Our soldiers are holding their positions," he said in Kiev.

http://www.dpa-international.com/news/international/ukraine-fighting-escalates-on-day-three-of-ceasefire-a-44201464.html