Full cease-fire in eastern Ukraine begins after 6-year conflict with pro-Russian separatists

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Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels began a “full and comprehensive” cease-fire Monday in war-torn eastern Ukraine following a six-year conflict that has resulted in the deaths of more than 14,000 soldiers, separatists, and civilians.

The new cease-fire deal was reached last Wednesday by members of the Tripartite Contact Group that includes representatives of Russia, Ukraine, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

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Rebel officials said Sunday they have instructed their troops about the cease-fire and issued a decree banning the use of weapons. Ukraine’s military also said their forces “have begun preparations” for the ceasefire.

“We are talking about the possibility of a real ceasefire on both sides,” the head of Ukraine’s joint forces operation Volodymyr Kravchenko told a televised briefing, according to Reuters. “The situation is stable and controlled.”

Ukrainian and rebel forces in war-torn eastern Ukraine have started preparing for a “full and comprehensive” ceasefire scheduled to begin at midnight on Monday. Rebel officials said Sunday they have instructed their troops about the ceasefire and issued a decree banning weapon use, while Ukraine's president said that if upheld, it would “pave the way for implementing other clauses” of the Minsk peace deal. (AP Photo/Vitali Komar, FILE)

The military conflict between Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists flared in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its support for the separatists.

Russia President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky both commended the cease-fire deal in a phone call Sunday and underscored the importance of implementing the agreements reached at the December summit in Paris.

If the new deal is upheld, it would “pave the way for implementing other clauses” of the 2015 Minsk peace deal, Zelensky’s office said Sunday, calling the cease-fire a “breakthrough.”

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Zelensky also stressed the need “for further practical steps” aimed at releasing Ukrainians who are imprisoned by rebels in eastern Ukraine, in the annexed region of Crimea and in Russia, according to the statement.

The 2015 Minsk peace plan envisaged that Ukraine can regain control over its border with Russia in the separatist-held regions only after they are granted broad self-rule and hold local elections.

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The Minsk accord helped reduce the scope of hostilities, but Ukrainian forces and the rebels continued to sporadically clash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.