KIEV (Reuters) - Fifteen Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in fighting against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said on Saturday.
Poltorak said fighting was particularly intense around the town of Debaltseve, a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk and where government garrisons are partly encircled by separatists.
"Along all the lines of conflict (with the separatists) our losses amount to 15 killed and 30 wounded," he told journalists.
(Writing by Richard Balmforth; Editing by Louise Ireland)