You're reading: International Business Times: Fighting near strategic port city of Mariupol increasing despite hopes for peace in east Ukraine

Just two days after a meeting of foreign ministers from Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia in Paris, where the parties said they made some advance towards discussion of a peace deal that could help end the east Ukraine conflict, the situation on the ground tells a very different story. On Wednesday evening, pro-Russian rebels attacked towns and villages near the strategic port city of Mariupol on 40 occasions, according to Ukrainian military officials.

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