Russian-supported militants have violated the New Year and Christmas ceasefire six times over the past 24 hours, killing one Ukrainian serviceman and wounding two more, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters has reported.

"Over the past day, the enemy made six targeted shelling attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In one case, Ukrainian servicemen were forced to open fire from grenade launchers and machineguns... Two soldiers were wounded as a result of enemy shelling, and, unfortunately, Ukraine lost one defender," reads a report posted on the Facebook page of the ATO HQ's press center early on Saturday.

In the Luhansk sector, militants used 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and heavy machineguns near Luhanske.

In the Donetsk sector, illegal armed groups repeatedly fired from 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, machineguns and small arms at Ukrainian positions near the Butivka mine. They also used grenade launchers and light infantry weapons near Kamianka and Verkhniotoretske.