Kiev, Nov 24 (IANS/EFE): At least three soldiers have been killed over the last 24 hours in attacks carried out by pro-Russian separatist militias in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military command said Monday.

In a statement, the command claimed that the separatists launched 56 attacks with different types of weapons against Ukrainian military positions.

The separatist militias were especially active in areas near the cities of Donetsk, Lugansk and Debaltsevo, as well as around Donetsk International Airport which is under the control of the Ukrainian forces, according to the command.

Despite the ceasefire agreement signed by both parties in early September, fighting continues in the suburbs of Donetsk, a city that had a population of some one million before the outbreak of the conflict between the government forces and the pro-Russian militias.

Ukrainian authorities also condemned the separatists for using civilians as human shields, noting that they opened fire and raided areas controlled by the government forces from residential neighbourhoods in areas under militia control.

So far, 4,317 people have died and 9,921 more wounded in the fighting, according to the latest report by the UN human rights mission in Ukraine.