Ukrainian president ends ceasefire

Ukrainian forces are set to go on the offensive against pro-Russian forces after President Petro Poroshenko said he is putting a halt to the ceasefire.

Pro-Russian militants storm the Ukrainian National Guard

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he is halting a cease-fire in the conflict with Russia. (AAP)

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he is halting a unilateral cease-fire in the conflict with pro-Russian separatists and that Ukrainian forces will go on the offensive against the rebels.

A statement from Poroshenko on his website says the cease-fire is being halted and that "we will attack and we will free our country."

The fragile cease-fire expired on Monday night. The idea was to give rebels a chance to disarm and start a peace process including an amnesty and new elections.

But rebels did not disarm, and the ceasefire was continually violated. Rebels did not comply with Poroshenko's latest push to get them to turn over key border crossings with Russia and permit international monitoring of the cease-fire.


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