Ceasefire said to be holding in Ukraine

A new ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is holding after months of fighting in which 9,500 people have died, said the Ukrainian president.

Petro Poroshenko said his forces had not seen any fighting for 12 hours. It is the first time there has been a true halt to fighting in 11 months. The parties in the conflict agreed earlier to stop fighting by 1 September, which is the first day of school in Ukraine.

The ceasefire reports were backed up by the rebels’ Donetsk News Agency. Government forces and Russiabacked rebels agreed last year to stop fighting.

But the ceasefire failed and international monitors had said the fighting intensified in the past month to nearly a fullblown war. 0 Petro Poroshenko: Said no fighting seen for 12 hours