November 18, 2015 - 10:03 AMT
EU-Ukraine free trade zone “to be launched January 1”

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko says the EU has confirmed that an EU-Ukrainian free trade zone will be launched on January 1, BBC News reports.

The deal was supposed to take effect this January but Russia objected.

Political tensions escalated into violence in Ukraine after former President Viktor Yanukovych backed away from the agreement with the EU in 2013.

There has been more sporadic shelling in eastern Ukraine. Russia remains opposed to EU-Ukrainian integration.

Ukrainian government forces say pro-Russian rebels in the east fired heavy guns and mortars repeatedly at several villages near rebel-held Donetsk on Monday, November 16.

The statement also said the rebels had fired 12 Grad rockets at the outskirts of Krasnohorivka and Hirnyk - towns just west of Donetsk.

The rebel "Donetsk People's Republic" meanwhile said several rebel positions had come under mortar and machine-gun fire from government troops.

There were few violations of the ceasefire in the east in September and October, but this month has seen more shooting.

Photo: AFP