Casualties climb before Ukraine talks

11 February 2015 Last updated at 11:02

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Footage of the burnt-out shells of vehicles in a bus shelter in Donetsk

More than 20 people have died in violence in eastern Ukraine as the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany prepare for peace talks.

Nineteen Ukrainian soldiers were killed, many in a town that pro-Russian rebels say they have surrounded.

Five people were reported killed by shelling in rebel-held Donetsk.

The talks in the Belarusian capital Minsk are set to focus on securing a ceasefire, withdrawal of heavy weapons and creating a demilitarised zone.

But negotiators are still trying to narrow differences ahead of the summit, to be attended by Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko, as well as Francois Hollande of France and Germany's Angela Merkel.

While the Ukrainian government is seeking a demarcation line based on the failed ceasefire agreed on 5 September in Belarus last year, the rebels want a new truce to reflect the gains they have made in recent weeks, the BBC's James Reynolds reports from Donetsk.

More than 5,400 people have died since the conflict began, and there has been a dramatic rise in casualties in recent days, with 263 civilians killed in populated areas between 31 January and 5 February.

Ceasefire hopes: James Reynolds, BBC News, Donetsk

Donetsk may be the tidiest city-at-war in the world. In the centre of town, the streets are swept, the benches are clean, the bins are empty. From the city centre you can hear the regular deep, bassy boom of artillery fire in the distance.

"We want to live alone," insists one woman who puts down her shopping bags to talk. "Most people here don't want to be ruled by Ukraine and [President] Poroshenko," she concludes.

"We're hoping for a resolution," says another man, "But it all depends on Ukraine."

A mother, walking with her young son, says she's exasperated with both sides. "They need to shut all the leaders in a room," she suggests, "like they do when they choose a Pope. Lock them in. Don't let any of them out until they've reached an agreement."

With both sides seeking territorial gains before a potential ceasefire, there are fears that the violence could undermine attempts to secure a long-term deal.

The majority of Ukrainian military casualties were near Debaltseve, a major transport hub where thousands of soldiers are under rebel siege.

The separatists say they have cut off the main supply road into the town from the west as they try to capture a tongue-shaped area that cuts into the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

At least two people were killed and several more injured when a shell hit a bus station in rebel-controlled Donetsk early on Wednesday. Three more deaths were reported overnight by local authorities.

Rival agendas at Ukraine talks

Ukraine: Restore government authority over breakaway areas, though Donetsk and Luhansk regions could get greater self-rule; disarm rebel forces; withdrawal of Russian troops; restore Kiev's control over Ukraine-Russia border; full prisoner exchange.

Pro-Russian rebels: Separation from rest of Ukraine and recognition of "people's republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk; no disarmament of separatist forces; amnesty for separatist leaders.

Russia: Legal guarantees for rights of Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine; full autonomy for Donetsk and Luhansk in a federal system - not necessarily independence; no return of Crimea to Ukraine; withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from combat zone.

EU and US: Restore Ukraine's territorial integrity; end Russian intervention in eastern Ukraine - withdrawal of all Russian troops and heavy weapons; effective monitoring of Russia-Ukraine border and demilitarised zone between the combatants; full democracy in Donetsk and Luhansk.

September 2014 ceasefire: The 12-point plan

Why has conflict returned to eastern Ukraine?

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said Wednesday's summit was one of the final chances to bring about an unconditional ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons.

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of sending troops and arms to support the rebels, but Russia denies this.

Volunteer pro-government fighters have also seized territory this week, capturing villages from the rebels outside the government-held of Mariupol.

US President Barack Obama told President Vladimir Putin late on Tuesday that he should seize the opportunity of fresh talks and that Russia would face greater costs if it continued its "aggressive actions" in Ukraine.

President Obama has refused to rule out supplying "lethal defensive weapons" to Kiev if diplomacy fails, but Russia says that would worsen the crisis.

Ukraine's war: The human cost

• 5,486 people people killed and 12,972 wounded in eastern Ukraine
• Fatalities include 298 people on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 shot down on 17 July
• 5.2 million people estimated to be living in conflict areas
• 978,482 internally displaced people, including 119,832 children
• 600,000 fled to neighbouring countries, of whom more than 400,000 have gone to Russia

Source: Figures from UN report, 6 February

Do you live in eastern Ukraine? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk

Please include a contact number if you wish to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

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