Ukraine and Russia agree with withdraw heavy weapons
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E-mail CRI, January 23, 2015
At least a dozen people are dead after a shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk.
A mortar round has hit a tram stop in the city, leaving at least 13 dead and dozens of others injured.
The incident comes just hours after an agreement by Kiev and rebel-forces to withdraw their heavy-weapons 15-kilometers behind a previously-agreed-to demarcation line.
The new agreement comes on the heels of talks among the foreign ministers from Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hosted the meeting in Berlin.
"The further step envisages that the Contact Group meets straight away and as quickly as possible to agree on the procedure and therefore the start of the process. On top of this, we agreed that the contact group will set up several working groups who will work on resolving the most important open questions, including access to humanitarian aid and provision in eastern Ukraine, as quickly as possible."
Despite the new agreement, Ukrainian authorities say rebel forces are still pounding a town about 70-kilometers east of Donetsk with heavy artillery.
US Secretary of State John Kerry says the separatist offensive is a clear violation.
"This is a very blatant land grab and it is in direct contravention to the Minsk agreements, which they signed up to and that is why the European community decided to hold the line with respect to the sanctions and continue to send a message that we will not stand for this kind of violation of the sovereign integrity of a nation."
Wednesday's meeting has failed to finalize an agreement on the withdrawal of all troops.
Ukraine claims Russia has more than 9-thousand of its soldiers fighting alongside the rebels.
Moscow has denied the allegation.
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