Three Ukrainian servicemen were killed and a few suffered injuries in the hostilities in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian Presidential Administration spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.

"We have lost three servicemen over the past day, and three have suffered injuries," he told a press briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

All was relatively quiet in the Luhansk sector except for two provocations staged near Orikhove in the evening, Lysenko said, adding that the Ukrainian army had to return fire during the second shelling incident.

"The enemy's activity has reduced due to the heavy casualties suffered in the attack they mounted in the Popasna district the day before yesterday," Lysenko said. In his words, two militants were killed and eight were wounded back then.

Tensions persisted near Novoselivka Druha, Opytne and Nevelsk in Donetsk sector. The enemy opened fire from 82mm and 120mm mortars on Ukrainian army positions in the evening. The Ukrainian army returned fire in most cases.

Sporadic provocations were observed on the Svitlodarsk bulge and near Horlivka. In all, 21 shelling incidents, including nine by use of heavy weapons, were recorded during the day, Lysenko said.

Attacks of militants were observed throughout the contact line in the Mariupol sector. In addition to mortars, the hostiles fired 30 shells from Gvozdika howitzers.

Militants opened fire in Talakivka and Shyrokyne, using mortars and weapons of infantry combat vehicles, in the evening. A total of 35 shelling incidents, including 15 using heavy armaments, were seen in that area during the day.