Ceasefire Still 'Holding' In Eastern Ukraine

A man wearing a camouflage uniform walks with a child as they enter a school on the start of the new school year in Donetsk, Ukraine, Tuesday. Children in the eastern rebel-held city of Donetsk attended their first day of school on Tuesday as a Kiev military spokesman said first signs were that parties to the Minsk ceasefire deal were adhering to the call for a more effective truce to mark the start of a new school year. ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO/REUTERS

Reuters: Big guns in east Ukraine fall silent, two more die from wounds in Kiev protests

A fragile truce between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists appeared to be holding on Tuesday as both sides made a renewed effort to silence their guns and make the much-abused ceasefire work.

Sporadic shelling and shooting, which each side has blamed on the other, had ensured a steadily mounting death toll despite the ceasefire called as part of a peace plan worked out in Minsk, Belarus, in February.

Government and separatist representatives agreed last week to strive to end all violations from Tuesday.

WNU Editor: The guns may be silent for the moment (more or less), but the Ukraine government is preparing for war .... Ukraine Military Defense Budget Seeks $4B In 2016 To Help Fight East Ukraine War (IBTimes).