Ukraine on Thursday reported its first combat death since Kiev agreed a new "indefinite" ceasefire deal with pro-Russian insurgents in the separatist east last week, informs AFP.

The soldier was killed in fighting on Wednesday in the village of Kurti Blaka - some 15 kilometres north of the militias' de facto capital of Donetsk, declared the Ukrainian army in a statement.

The rebels did not report any casualties on their part.

The incident comes amid swelling hope that the 31-month conflict may be winding down after nearly 10,000 people have died.

The insurgents agreed to the truce last Friday -- two days after it was negotiated by Ukraine and Russia with the help of mediators from the OSCE.

The truce came after days of unusually heavy clashes that killed 10 Ukrainian troops and an unknown number of insurgents.

The former Soviet republic accuses its neighbour Russia of launching the war in retaliation for the ouster of Ukraine's Moscow-backed president in February 2014. Russia denies any role in the conflict.

Source: AFP