CRI听力:Fighting in Eastern Ukraine Largely Halted

Ukrainian military officials say fighting in eastern Ukraine has mostly come to an end now that a ceasefire has taken effect.

Ukrainian military spokesperson Andriy Lysenko.

"The situation in eastern Ukraine appears to be heading towards stabilization. Residents in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have, through social media, confirmed the silence outside their homes. Despite the ceasefire, single instances of the use of weapons by rebels have been reported."

However, there is still fighting being reported in the community of Debaltseve.

The rebels say they will not observe the truce at Debaltseve, saying they consider it their "internal territory."

Debaltseve is a strategic railway hub.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which is responsible for monitoring the ceasefire, says the rebels have denied it access into the area.

The truce was worked out last week following talks among France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine.

On top of the creation of a demilitarized zone, Ukrainian authorities have promised to amend the country's constitution to give more autonomy to parts of eastern Ukraine.