Kyiv Says Ukrainian Soldier, Three Separatist Fighters Killed In East

Ukraine's government says one of its soldiers has been killed and four wounded as a result of clashes with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The Defense Ministry in Kyiv said on November 5 that separatist fighters violated a cease-fire 18 times during the previous 24 hours by firing machine guns, grenade launchers, and mortars.

It said Ukrainian government forces killed three pro-Russia fighters and wounded four others.

Russia-backed separatists, meanwhile, accused Ukrainian government forces of violating the cease-fire 21 times during the previous 24 hours using guns, grenade launchers, and mortars.

Since April 2014, more than 10,300 people have been killed in fighting between Kyiv's forces and the separatists who control parts of Ukraine's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Cease-fire deals announced as part of the Minsk accords -- September 2014 and February 2015 pacts aimed at resolving the conflict -- have failed to hold.

With reporting by Interfax and TASS