The Ukrainian foreign ministry said Tuesday that the government was committed to the peace process and had no intention to resume full-scale military operation against independence-seeking insurgents.
"Our forces do not plan any offensive, but they are ready to give battle to those who will try to attack us," Xinhua quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Eugene Perebiynis as saying.
Perebiynis said Kiev was still committed to the current peace process, which was laid in a ceasefire deal signed with the separatist leadership Sep 5 in Minsk. The Ukrainian government forces suspended the offensive against the fighters following the signing of the truce.
As fighting in eastern Ukraine intensified in the last two weeks, the rival forces traded fresh accusations, with each side blaming the other for carrying the attacks and preparing a fresh military offensive.
Despite the officially declared ceasefire, casualties are reported on a daily basis in the battle zone in eastern part of the country.
Over the past 24 hours, six Ukrainian troops were killed and nine wounded during confrontation with rebels, said Andrei Lysenko, spokesperson for the National Security and Defence Council.
More that 4,100 people have been killed and almost 10,000 wounded since the start of the violent conflict in mid-April, when the government launched a military operation against insurgents.
