Putin regrets Ukraine ceasefire is not working

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern on Wednesday that a two-month old ceasefire had failed to end what he called civil war in eastern Ukraine.

"Despite the Minsk agreements (on a ceasefire), firing on peaceful cities continues and civilians are still dying," he was quoted by RIA news agency as telling a meeting.

The Ukrainian leadership and pro-Russian separatists blame each other for violations of the ceasefire agreed in the Belarussian capital, Minsk, on Sept. 5 and the agreement appears now to be in tatters.

(Reporting By Timothy Heritage, editing by Elizabeth Piper)