KIEV, Ukraine -- President Petro Poroshenko declared a "day of silence" Tuesday, suspending military operations in Ukraine’s war-torn east in hopes of restoring a September cease-fire deal with Russian-backed rebels that has been broken almost daily with deaths among fighters and civilians.
More than 4,300 people have been killed and nearly 1 million others displaced over the course of the seven-month long conflict. At least 1,000 people have died since the shaky cease-fire deal was hashed out on Sept. 5 during a meeting in the Belarusian capital of Minsk between representatives from Kiev, Moscow and the rebels’ self-declared “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Kiev views the "day of silence" as a test to see whether the rebels are ready for a lasting cease-fire. Should Tuesday’s temporary suspension of hostilities hold true, it could improve chances for a truce during another round of peace talks in Minsk on Friday.
Rebel leaders have stated their support for a revived cease-fire. But mere hours after the start of the temporary armistice on Tuesday it appeared as though it was destined to fall apart, with more than half a dozen violations reported.
SITUATION IN THE EASTERN REGIONS OF UKRAINE – 09.12.14 prior to the "silence reg." full size http://t.co/8NV8aPJ5hd pic.twitter.com/lQNhUQF9EV— NSDC of Ukraine (@NSDC_ua) December 9, 2014
In Donetsk, the rebels’ main stronghold, a Reuters correspondent heard sporadic firing until 9 a.m. local time, though it subsided shortly after.
But by 1 a.m., there had been six violations by rebel forces, according to a Ukrainian military statement.
Rebels fired mortars, automatic grenade launchers, anti-aircraft weapons and small arms at Ukrainian positions, it said.
Valentyn Buriachenko, a Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesperson, told Interfax news agency that one mortar strike was registered in Luhansk region at 9:15 a.m. local time, and that an inquiry into the matter was under way.
Ukrainian military officials claim government troops held up their end of the bargain on Tuesday and did not return fire.
However, rebel leaders said otherwise, reporting strikes on the contested Donetsk airport from the direction of Ukrainian lines in nearby Pisky, according to Russia's Sputnik News.
Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko reported that six Ukrainian servicemen had been killed and another seven were wounded in the eastern regions over the past 24 hours, suggesting the fragile deal wouldn't stick.
In a separate statement, the military said rebels had carried out “64 attempted attacks on positions of Ukrainian forces.” Two civilians had been killed and 10 others wounded "as a result of sudden artillery fire by [rebel] fighters on populated areas," it added.
Moscow, which Kiev and the West blame for fueling the conflict, is hopeful that a renewed truce deal will help bring the situation in eastern Ukraine under control, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
"We discussed all tasks aimed at resolving the Ukrainian crisis in great detail, and we are placing our hopes in today's cease-fire,” he told reporters in Moscow. “It is not the first time a truce has been declared there, but the current stage was well prepared, and negotiations were held between representatives of the parties in this conflict.”
"In the coming days, a meeting of the contact group is planned, in which will be discussed a plan... with the aim of a final ceasefire," he added.
Not everyone supports the cease-fire. One angry Cossack rebel leader in Pervomaisk, a town in Luhansk region, lambasted separatist leaders for sitting down with Ukrainian authorities in a profanity-laced tirade filmed by a rebel information agency.
In the video, published Tuesday morning, Yevgeny Ishchenko said that Alexander Zakharchenko, Donetsk People's Republic head, and his counterpart in Luhansk, Igor Plotnitsky, should be “ashamed” for dealing with Kiev, whom he said was responsible for civilian deaths.
Petting the head of a woman crushed by brick and mortar following shelling in the town, he warned the leaders that he may mount an armed resistance against them. “We will deploy all your weapons against you!” he said.
The so-called rebel republics have been plagued by infighting throughout the conflict, resulting in revolving-door leadership.
Kiev wants ‘all-for-all’ prisoner swap
As the "day of silence" looked set to unravel, Ukraine said it was ready for an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange, as per the Sept. 5 cease-fire agreement, according to the Security Service of Ukraine.
“There were talks and statements on the prisoner swap issue yesterday. Our side said it was ready to swap all for all. The date has not been discussed so far,” Buriachenko, the Defense Ministry spokesperson, added Tuesday.
Earlier, Denis Pushilin, deputy chair of the Donetsk People’s Republic parliament, said in comments carried by Russian state media that the sides are preparing for a large prisoner exchange, which they plan to discuss in detail on Wednesday.
Donetsk, Luhansk, Kiev to discuss 'large prisoner exchange' Wednesday - Donetsk Republic's deputy parliament chairman— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 9, 2014
“We are preparing a large prisoner exchange and the dates will be discussed tomorrow during a Skype conference and during the conference in Minsk,” Pushilin said. “The Ukrainian side has already presented a list of 223 individuals, and from our side there are 152."