Another deadly battle took place around the Donetsk Airport in Ukraine on Sunday between the government and rebels, leaving nine Ukrainian soldiers and three civilians dead despite the cease-fire agreement issued recently.

The cease-fire was announced on September 5 and the latest battle was dubbed as the deadliest attack ever since. Seven of the nine soldiers were killed when a tank shell hit the troop transport of the Ukrainian soldiers, army spokesman Andiry Lyensko said in a statement.

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The deputy prime minister of the rebel Donetsk People's Republic, Andrei Purgin, stated that the line drawn on paper is not parallel to the current positions the separatists have covered.  The fighting took place at disputed points on the proposed separation line.

The Ukrainian Army reportedly had their troops at a great influx to protect the airport and according to the signed cease-fire agreement, the airport is owned by the separatists, Purgin pinpointed. The Ukrainian troops' refusal to leave the area led to the encounter on Sunday.

Ukrainian President Petro O. Poroshenko noted on Thursday during a news conference that the biggest and most dangerous part of the war was already behind them. The cease-fire is the basis of the peace pact between the Ukrainians and the separatists, Poroshenko added.

However, despite Poroshenko's statement, the shelling in the area has just worsened. The attacks happened when Russians, Ukrainians and rebel military forces were holding a meeting as they work on the boundaries as well as the buffer zone that would serve as a neutral area stretching to at least 30 kilometers.

Meanwhile, Russian Army delegation led by Aleksandr Lentsov have been in Ukraine for more than a week now and have talked to the representative of Ukraine and the separatists. Reports say that Russia would like to minimize their role in mediating between the pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainians.

The most questionable issue for Russia was the common grounds being claimed both by the Ukrainian government and the rebels, Lentsov pressed. They are mainly helping in the cease-fire agreements and nothing else, he added.

The Donetsk airport is one of the problem areas as it has been renovated by Ukraine's government back in 2012 during the Euro soccer championship. The airport is an important supply line both for the Ukrainian military and the rebels.  

TagsUkraine, Russia, ceasefire, battle, pro-Russian separatists, Donetsk airport