More fighting reported in Ukraine’s east 

KYIV – Ukraine’s military said on May 6 that five of its soldiers were killed and 12 wounded during the previous 24 hours amid reports of more fighting in eastern Ukraine. A Ukrainian military spokesman said pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine had violated a ceasefire deal more than 42 times. Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said four servicemen died when their vehicle hit a landmine close to Avdiyivka, while a fifth was killed in an insurgent ambush. Mr. Lysenko said rebels continued to pound government positions around Mariupol, the largest remaining Ukrainian-controlled city in the conflict zone, and areas around the rebel stronghold of Donetsk. The latest casualties come as officials from Russia, Ukraine and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held closed-door talks in Minsk for the first time since the two sides agreed upon a shaky peace deal in February. Both Kyiv and the insurgents accuse each other of continuing to violate the ceasefire deal. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in a statement ahead of the talks, “The first key point towards fulfilling the Minsk agreement is ensuring a comprehensive ceasefire.” (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press)