Ukraine rebels say government forces pushed back near Donetsk

Members of the armed forces of Ukraine attend the funeral of a Ukrainian serviceman, who was killed while taking part in battles at the airport of Donetsk, in Mariupol, a city on the Sea of Azov, January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Nikolai Ryabchenko

KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Pro-Russian separatist forces said on Tuesday they had pushed Ukrainian government troops out of two districts on the outskirts of their main stronghold Donetsk, and their aim was to expand their control to the entire region.

A rebel advance launched last week has dashed a five-month truce, reignited a war that has killed more than 5,000 people and brought threats of new sanctions on Moscow, which NATO accuses of backing the separatists with money, arms and troops.