Five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 14 wounded in clashes with Russian-backed rebels near the eastern town of Debaltseve.
The fighting is the latest apparent breach of a fragile ceasefire under which both sides were supposed to pull heavy artillery back from the front line today.
Fighting has erupted on the streets inside the town, which until now had been the scene of artillery exchanges between government troops inside and heavily-armed rebels encircling it.
But government and rebel leaders indicated they would withdraw only after the other side does so.
"As soon as the militants cease fire, the Ukrainian side will begin to withdraw heavy weaponry from the frontline," said government military spokesman Anatoliy Stelmakh, who claimed his troops were pounded by the rebels overnight.
Rebel leader Andrei Purgin said the separatists were prepared to discuss withdrawing with the international group monitoring the ceasefire, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Reporting from Ukraine, Sky's Stuart Ramsay said: "Usually these ceasefires completely fall apart within three or four days because the sides are near one another and small arms are involved.
"The OSCE monitors have been trying to get into Debaltseve but so far they've been refused entry by the pro-Russia separatists.
"The rebel leadership have been talking about what they see as a moral responsibility to continue fighting to get to Debaltseve because they say it's inside their territory and not part of the ceasefire plan.
"They want that town because they've been focusing on it and believe they'll be able to get it soon."
The leaders of Ukraine, Russia and Germany discussed the cease-fire in a phone call late last night.
During the call German chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to use his influence on the separatists to ensure that they stop fighting.
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