Six Ukrainian soldiers were killed in rebel-held eastern Ukraine in the last 24 hours as fighting flared up again despite a ceasefire, military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Tuesday.

Six Ukrainian soldiers were killed in rebel-held eastern Ukraine in the last 24 hours as fighting flared up again despite a ceasefire, military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Tuesday.

"Over the past day, as a result of serious provocations, six Ukrainian soldiers were killed, 12 wounded," he said at a news briefing.