Ukraine military: This is "not a cease-fire"

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's military said Wednesday that rebel violations of a cease-fire in the country's east were persisting, but had fallen off in recent days, as European leaders warned of possible new sanctions against Russia.

Military spokesman Lt. Col. Anatoliy Stelmakh told a briefing Wednesday that Russian-backed rebels shelled the village of Popasna twice during the night and also continued trying to overrun Ukrainian positions at the village of Shyrokyne, near the strategic port city of Mariupol.

Ukrainian officials in Kiev fear that Mariupol, which has a population of almost half a million, could be targeted by the rebels.

"For a second day, we observe a reduction in shelling," Stelmakh said. "But the last day was not a cease-fire."

In all, 19 artillery and mine attacks were recorded, Stekmakh said.

Ukraine has said it will not begin a pullback of heavy weapons under a peace deal until the cease-fire firmly takes hold. Rebels said Tuesday they were beginning a pullback, but Kiev disputed the claim, and it could not be independently confirmed.

Outside the region, foreign officials remain adamant that reparations will be sought for violating the Minsk agreement.

"We've told the Russians clearly," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said, "That if there was a separatist attack in the direction of Mariupol things would be drastically altered, including in terms of sanctions."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Russia is concerned that leaders in Kiev and the West, want the peace deal to fail.

"There are many people outside Ukraine and in Kiev who want them (the peace talks) derailed," Lavrov said in Paris.

"A lot now depends on an honest, objective, unbiased approach by the observers who must record what is happening on the ground, so that we can all resist the attempts to present the Minsk agreements as having already failed," said the veteran Russian diplomat.