Nine Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 26 wounded in fighting with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern regions in the past 24 hours, Kiev military spokesman said on Monday.
The spokesman, Vyacheslav Seleznyov, said government forces had come under attack from the rebels on about 100 separate occasions.
Ukrainian military say fighting has been particularly intense around the town of Debaltseve, a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk.
