Humanitarian truce around Ukrainian town

Both sides have agreed to a seven-hour humanitarian truce around a key Ukraine town so civilians can leave.

Kiev officials and pro-Russian separatists say they have agreed on a brief humanitarian truce around the east Ukrainian town of Debaltseve so besieged civilians can leave.

"They have agreed a truce for Friday in the area around Debaltseve for the evacuation of the civilian population," Ukraine interior ministry official Vyacheslav Abroskin said.

Rebels told their news agency that the truce around the town they have almost encircled would last from 0800 GMT to 1500 GMT on Friday (1900 AEDT Friday to 0200 AEDT Saturday).