Fighting resumes in Ukraine as peace plan collapses

DONETSK, Ukraine, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Fighting between Ukrainian and pro-Russian separatist forces resumed Wednesday in Donetsk, as a precarious cease-fire collapsed.

Clashes broke out at the city's airport, site of previous conflict, and smoke from rocket fire could be seen in the area. The battles began after an accord, agreed to Sept. 5 in Minsk, Belarus, was exited by both sides.

The Ukrainian government claimed the separatists violated the agreement by holding elections over the weekend in the so-called republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, each a breakaway area of Ukraine. Elected presidents were installed Tuesday. Ukrainian Petro Poroshenko responded Tuesday by seeking parliamentary approval to scrap a key element of the agreement, involving self-rule and greater autonomy for the two provinces, as well as an amnesty to separatist fighters. Poroshenko said the restive eastern region of Ukraine would receive no federal government funding until the "terrorists clear out of there." Poroshenko also sent reinforcements to several Ukrainian Army units in key cities. In retaliation, the separatists announced they would no longer follow the agreement, the new Donetsk and Luhansk leaders saying, "We are prepared to work on a new version of the agreement" in an unusual joint statement.

Poroshenko' s deployment of new troops came after Ukrainian security officials claimed Russia, the only country to recognize the breakaway republics, has increased the movement of troops and military equipment into Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia has denied the claim.

"Several new units have been formed that will enable us to repel possible attacks in the direction of Mariupol and Berdyansk, Kharkiv, and areas north of Luhansk and the Dnipropetrovsk region," a statement on the presidential website said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel used the weekend's events to note Tuesday there was no reason for the European Union to lift economic sanctions against Russia, noting Tuesday "how difficult it is even to maintain agreements that have been made, if we look at the illegal elections".