Fighting between government forces and Russian-backed rebels for control of the eastern Ukrainian town of Debaltseve continued despite the OSCE's call for a cease-fire to allow for the evacuation of civilians.
The Ukrainian military said on February 4 that rebels had used "all kinds of weapons" in nine attacks on its positions near Debaltseve overnight but had failed to dislodge government forces.
It said fighting in the area persisted for more than four hours, until about 3 a.m..
Separately, military spokesman Vyacheslav Seleznyov said two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 18 were wounded in the previous 24 hours across eastern Ukraine, where the conflict has killed more than 5,350 people since April.
The Debaltseve area has been the scene of fierce fighting for more than two weeks between Ukrainian government forces who hold the strategic transport junction and separatists who control most of the territory surrounding it.
The current chairman of the OSCE, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, called on February 3 for an immediate truce that wold last at least three days.
