This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31519000
The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Ukraine troops retreat from key town of Debaltseve | Ukraine troops retreat from key town of Debaltseve |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Ukrainian president says his forces are making an "organised" withdrawal from the embattled town of Debaltseve. | The Ukrainian president says his forces are making an "organised" withdrawal from the embattled town of Debaltseve. |
| Petro Poroshenko said 80% of Ukraine's troops left on Wednesday morning after several days of fierce fighting. | Petro Poroshenko said 80% of Ukraine's troops left on Wednesday morning after several days of fierce fighting. |
| Russia said Ukrainian forces had tried to fight their way out of the city after being encircled but Mr Poroshenko insisted they were never surrounded. | Russia said Ukrainian forces had tried to fight their way out of the city after being encircled but Mr Poroshenko insisted they were never surrounded. |
| The rebel advance on Debaltseve, which came in spite of the recent ceasefire agreement, has been widely condemned. | The rebel advance on Debaltseve, which came in spite of the recent ceasefire agreement, has been widely condemned. |
| Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said the rebels' offensive had put the wider peace agreement at risk and urged Russia to "use all its influence on the separatists to make them respect the ceasefire". | Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said the rebels' offensive had put the wider peace agreement at risk and urged Russia to "use all its influence on the separatists to make them respect the ceasefire". |
| He also called on Moscow to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, saying Russian troops, artillery and air defence units were still active in the country. | He also called on Moscow to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, saying Russian troops, artillery and air defence units were still active in the country. |
| Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted the rebels' actions in Debaltseve had not violated the ceasefire because it was a rebel-held city when the peace agreement was signed last week. | Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted the rebels' actions in Debaltseve had not violated the ceasefire because it was a rebel-held city when the peace agreement was signed last week. |
| He urged rebels to provide troops who surrendered with food and clothes and said he hoped the situation in the city would "not be used to find a pretext to actually undermine [the agreement]". | He urged rebels to provide troops who surrendered with food and clothes and said he hoped the situation in the city would "not be used to find a pretext to actually undermine [the agreement]". |
| Eyewitnesses saw dozens of tanks and columns of weary Ukrainian troops retreating from Debaltseve on Wednesday. | Eyewitnesses saw dozens of tanks and columns of weary Ukrainian troops retreating from Debaltseve on Wednesday. |
| Russia's state-controlled Channel One TV showed footage of what it said were rebels raising their flag on top of a high-rise building in the city. | Russia's state-controlled Channel One TV showed footage of what it said were rebels raising their flag on top of a high-rise building in the city. |
| One rebel commander in Debaltseve told the BBC that conditions were dire, with no electricity and a shortage of food and water. He said rebels were sharing their rations with the remaining civilians. | One rebel commander in Debaltseve told the BBC that conditions were dire, with no electricity and a shortage of food and water. He said rebels were sharing their rations with the remaining civilians. |
| 'Brutal violation' | 'Brutal violation' |
| President Poroshenko said in a statement: "Debaltseve was under our control, there was no encirclement, and our troops left the area in a planned and organised manner." | President Poroshenko said in a statement: "Debaltseve was under our control, there was no encirclement, and our troops left the area in a planned and organised manner." |
| He called for "a firm reaction from the world to Russia's brutal violation of the Minsk agreements, the ceasefire regime and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry". | He called for "a firm reaction from the world to Russia's brutal violation of the Minsk agreements, the ceasefire regime and the withdrawal of heavy weaponry". |
| Mr Poroshenko visited the soldiers who had left Debaltseve in the town of Artemivsk on Wednesday. Earlier, he said it would be an honour to shake hands with "Ukrainian heroes". | Mr Poroshenko visited the soldiers who had left Debaltseve in the town of Artemivsk on Wednesday. Earlier, he said it would be an honour to shake hands with "Ukrainian heroes". |
| A senior Ukrainian military official said 22 Ukrainian soldiers had died in Debaltseve over the past three days. | |
| Earlier, an official at a morgue in Artemivsk said the bodies of 25 Ukrainian soldiers had been brought to the facility from Debaltseve but this has not been confirmed. | |
| Rebels have claimed that hundreds of Ukrainian troops were killed in clashes around the city, but Mr Poroshenko denied this. | Rebels have claimed that hundreds of Ukrainian troops were killed in clashes around the city, but Mr Poroshenko denied this. |
| The government in Kiev admitted that that some soldiers were taken prisoner in Debaltseve, but gave no details on how many were seized. | The government in Kiev admitted that that some soldiers were taken prisoner in Debaltseve, but gave no details on how many were seized. |
| Analysis: David Stern, BBC News, Kiev | Analysis: David Stern, BBC News, Kiev |
| The rapidly deteriorating situation inside Debaltseve and its possible fall to Russian-backed forces - despite a ceasefire brokered specifically to avoid this scenario - raises a number of questions but one in particular: What were Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande thinking? | The rapidly deteriorating situation inside Debaltseve and its possible fall to Russian-backed forces - despite a ceasefire brokered specifically to avoid this scenario - raises a number of questions but one in particular: What were Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande thinking? |
| Did they receive assurances that the insurgents would observe the ceasefire? Or was the fate of the strategic railroad junction under question even during the Minsk negotiations? If so, why did the Europeans proceed with an agreement that was unenforceable? | Did they receive assurances that the insurgents would observe the ceasefire? Or was the fate of the strategic railroad junction under question even during the Minsk negotiations? If so, why did the Europeans proceed with an agreement that was unenforceable? |
| It's entirely possible that the Minsk accords have done irreparable damage to the peace process and seriously weakened the position of President Petro Poroshenko. Ukrainian officials may very well be asking what other "exceptions" to the ceasefire will the rebels insist on? | It's entirely possible that the Minsk accords have done irreparable damage to the peace process and seriously weakened the position of President Petro Poroshenko. Ukrainian officials may very well be asking what other "exceptions" to the ceasefire will the rebels insist on? |
| Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande have long insisted there's no military solution to the war in eastern Ukraine. Now there may not be a diplomatic one either. | Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande have long insisted there's no military solution to the war in eastern Ukraine. Now there may not be a diplomatic one either. |
| The withdrawal came after Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Ukraine's troops in Debaltseve to surrender. | |
| Mr Putin is due to speak by telephone later on Wednesday to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Mr Poroshenko, according to the French government. | |
| Spokesman Stephane Le Foll insisted the agreement announced last week by the four leaders to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine was not dead, and that progress had been made. | |
| International observers monitoring the truce have been unable to enter Debaltseve. | International observers monitoring the truce have been unable to enter Debaltseve. |
| The city has become a key prize for rebels and government forces, as it sits on a strategic railway line linking the rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. | The city has become a key prize for rebels and government forces, as it sits on a strategic railway line linking the rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. |
| Most of its 25,000 population has been evacuated but about 7,000 civilians are still believed trapped by the fighting. | Most of its 25,000 population has been evacuated but about 7,000 civilians are still believed trapped by the fighting. |
| The ceasefire, which came into effect on Sunday, has been broadly observed elsewhere. | The ceasefire, which came into effect on Sunday, has been broadly observed elsewhere. |
| Rebel leaders in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic said on Wednesday they had begun to withdraw heavy weaponry from the parts of the frontline where the ceasefire was holding. | Rebel leaders in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic said on Wednesday they had begun to withdraw heavy weaponry from the parts of the frontline where the ceasefire was holding. |
| The withdrawal was due to start no later than the second day after the truce came into effect and be completed within two weeks, creating buffer zones 50-140km (30-85 miles) wide. | The withdrawal was due to start no later than the second day after the truce came into effect and be completed within two weeks, creating buffer zones 50-140km (30-85 miles) wide. |
| The UN says more than 5,600 people have been killed in the conflict, but there are fears the actual death toll could be much higher. | |
| Fighting began in eastern Ukraine in April, a month after Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula. | |
| Ukraine's pro-Western government says Russia is supporting the separatists with troops and weapons, but the Kremlin has consistently denied this. | Ukraine's pro-Western government says Russia is supporting the separatists with troops and weapons, but the Kremlin has consistently denied this. |
| Minsk agreement: Key points | Minsk agreement: Key points |
| Do you live in eastern Ukraine or have friends and family in the region? What do you think about the recent developments? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | |
| Please include a contact number if you wish to be contacted by a BBC journalist. | |
| Have your say |