The Ukrainian military says one of its servicemen has been killed and 10 others wounded in fighting in the country’s east.

Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said on July 1 that the casualties occurred in the previous 24 hours.

"The situation in the Donetsk region remains the most difficult and it has not undergone major changes -- separatists are using tanks and mortars," Lysenko said.

Meanwhile, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission said the fighting at and around Donetsk airport “continued with increased intensity compared to the previous few days."

It added that the security situation within Shyrokyne, near the port city of Mariupol, “deteriorated during the day.”

Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists accuse the other of regularly violating a cease-fire agreement signed in Minsk in February.

More than 6,400 people have been killed since fighting erupted in April 2014.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP