Ukraine's ceasefire talks continue

KIEV - The talks between the Ukrainian government and the independence-seeking insurgents over a ceasefire in eastern regions continue, but no specific agreement has been reached yet on halting the hostilities, a Ukrainian military spokesman said Wednesday.

"The fact that the fighting has been stopped at least in an area, where these talks are underway, signals that the negotiations have a good prospect," said Andrei Lysenko, spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council.

He added that the results of the talks will be revealed publicly once a fresh agreement on the ceasefire is achieved.

Despite the ongoing consultations over a possible truce, armed confrontation between government troops and the rebels continues, Lysenko said, adding that two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and five others wounded over the past day.

Lysenko claimed that the Ukrainian side still adheres to the ceasefire deal reached in Minsk on Sept.5 and considers the truce pact as a basis for future negotiations.

On Tuesday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that the Ukrainian government and the rebel leadership in the Lugansk region agreed to cease hostilities starting from Friday and begin to withdraw heavy weapons from the frontline on Saturday.

The self-styled leader of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic, Igor Plotnytsky, confirmed that an agreement was achieved.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic voiced intention to "achieve progress" in ceasefire talks by Dec.10.

Earlier in the day, former Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma said that representatives from Kiev, Moscow, the OSCE and the rebel leadership would continue their talks on normalizing the situation in eastern Ukraine next week.