DHAKA: Ukraine’s president has said a truce agreed with pro-Russian rebels in the east must be honored, as he ordered the army to stop fighting.

Petro Poroshenko also warned the rebels against continuing attacks on the besieged strategic town of Debaltseve.

Fighting appeared to have died down immediately after the ceasefire took effect at 22:00 GMT.

But later both the government and the separatists accused each other of mortar shelling in some places, reports the BBC.

Earlier on Saturday, rebel leaders had also ordered their forces to stop fighting in line with the ceasefire.

Fighting had raged near Debaltseve just hours before the truce was due to kick in.

Officials say more than 5,400 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine in April, but the UN believes the actual death toll to be much higher.

The fighting followed the annexation by Russia of Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula.

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of sending troops and weapons to help the separatists in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions - a claim the Kremlin vehemently denies.

BDST: 1012 HRS, FEB 15, 2015