ready for fresh ceasefire with rebels starting from Dec. 24

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said on Thursday it stands ready for a new round of ceasefire with independence-seeking insurgents starting from December 24 as was agreed by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine crisis.

"The Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready to perform the recent decision of the Minsk Contact Group," Olexandr Motuzyanyk, Defence Ministry spokesman, told reporters during a media briefing.

The Ukrainian army has already withdrawn their weapons from the frontline in accordance with the Minsk agreement, he said.

In the same time, Motuzyanyk pointed that Kiev reserves the right to fire in response if there is an attack by insurgents, which endangers the life of Ukrainian soldiers.

On Wednesday, the Contact Group, which held a meeting in the Belarusian capital, has called on the conflicting parties in eastern Ukraine to begin a comprehensive, steady and indefinite ceasefire starting from midnight local time Saturday.

Insurgents have not commented on the Contact Group's proposal so far.

The conflict between government troops and rebels in eastern Ukraine has been raging since April 2014, claiming some 10,000 lives.

The previous rounds of truce efforts have repeatedly failed, with the two sides accusing each other of ceasefire violations.