Local residents inspect their home, which was damaged by last night's shelling in the village of Sartan, near Mariupol January 20, 2015.
Nikolai Ryabchenko | Reuters
Ukrainian soldiers came under attack from Russian regular forces in the north of the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, a Ukrainian military spokesman said.
"Heavy fighting is continuing near the (Ukrainian army) checkpoints 29 and 31," the spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, said, referring to a part of Luhansk region near the border with Russia.
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"Ukrainian forces have stopped the advance of Russian troops ... The situation in the conflict zone is serious but under our control," he said at a special news briefing.