In recent weeks, the area around the government-held town of Avdiyivka has witnessed some of the heaviest artillery fire of the past two years.
It has refocused international attention on a simmering conflict that has strained relations between Russia and the West.
Violence has since lessened, but the close proximity of the opposing sides and the continued use of heavy weapons has raised deep concern.
It prompted the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine to call for renewed efforts to implement the terms of the much-violated Minsk peace agreement of 2015.
Just hours into the ceasefire, Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyankyk acknowledged the other side was complying.
"In general, as of this hour, a substantial decrease of military activities is being observed in an anti-terrorist operation zone. As of noon, we've reported 15 incidents of shelling by the enemy, though heavy weaponry has not yet been used by the enemy."
Senior separatist official Eduard Basurin has confirmed shelling from the Ukrainian side stopped at midnight on Sunday, local time.
"So far, the Ukrainian side fulfills the obligations it had undertaken. We do not register any violations at the moment. We can say that, as of midnight, there has been practically no shelling. The ones I've mentioned before happened before midnight. As for the withdrawal of heavy weaponry, the withdrawal will take place after 24 hours of ceasefire, and the main condition - it should proceed in parallel - if we withdraw, the Ukrainian side withdraws simultaneously as well."
After nearly three years of fighting in eastern Ukraine, many civilians are keen to return home.
Although government forces and separatist rebels in Ukraine have agreed on another attempt at a truce, the end of the conflict remains uncertain.
The fighting has displaced nearly two million people within the country's borders and sent another million fleeing to Russia.
The United Nations says one million children urgently need humanitarian aid in eastern Ukraine, a number that has doubled from a year ago.
Valentina Chehova and her daughter are internally displaced people from Avdiyivka, where more than 16,000 residents have fled over the past three years.
She says it is the second time she and her daughter have been displaced.
"The recent shelling lasted for several days. Then it got easier. But then it started again at night, and the children were terrified. So it took me only an hour to pack everything, and we left."
Valentina Ovcharko is also from the town and now lives at a centre for internally displaced people.
She says life has become unstable.
"I'm here because I'm saving my grandchildren. We've been wandering around the country for the last year and half. Life, from my point of view, wasn't so bad. We used to buy appliances. We used to do renovations. We were making plans, but what can we count on now?"
Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin's decision to temporarily recognise documents issued by the separatist regions has faced sharp criticism.
Mr Putin announced he would recognise passports and other documents issued by both the Donetsk People's Republic and the neighbouring self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic.
Ukraine has criticised the move, calling it a violation of the two-year-old peace deal.
The French and German governments also say it is contrary to the Minsk accord.
