Kiev reports no combat casualties for second straight day

Soldiers of the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic army ride in mobile artillery cannons as they are pulling back from from Debaltseve, February 25, 2015. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's military reported no combat casualties at the front for a second straight day on Thursday, a sign that a ceasefire deal has held at last after rebels initially ignored it to launch one of the biggest battles of the war last week.

After initially spurning the truce to advance, the pro-Russian separatist rebels have been withdrawing heavy weapons from the front under the ceasefire deal for the past two days. A military source told Reuters that Kiev could order its own artillery withdrawal later on Thursday.