Ukraine President Says 'Real Ceasefire' Being Upheld

krainian President Petro Poroshenko places a poppy at the Roll of Honour during a visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia, 12 December 2014. Poroshenko is visiting Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has asserted a "real ceasefire" which entered into force on Tuesday is now being observed.

While on an official visit to Australia, Poroshenko asserted a truce had been registered "for the first time in seven months in Ukraine."

"You cannot imagine how important this is to me. This is the first night when we haven't lost a single Ukrainian soldier," UNIAN agency quoted Poroshenko as saying.

His comments came after three soldiers died and eight were wounded early on Thursday.

But in Poroshenko's words no incidents occurred in the previous 24 hours.

Various attempts at a ceasefire have been made since unrest sparked in the Donbass region this spring.

In September Kiev and the two self-proclaimed "People's Republics" struck a truce agreement in Minsk, but it was promptly marred by violence, with fighting reportedly ongoing in some areas just hours after the document was signed.

A new meeting within the Minsk negotiations is due later this week.

Tuesday, December 9 was declared last week "a day of silence" after a meeting of the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.

UN figures suggest the Donbass conflict has claimed at least 4300 lives and has displaced roughly a million people.

Poroshenko is meanwhile meeting Australian officials and has become the first Ukrainian leader to visit the country.

Australia's PM Tony Abbott told Poroshenko Canberra might send coal and uranium to the crisis-torn country to help it meet its energy needs.

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