Ukraine's military reports significant fall in fighting

An armed man with the separatist self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic army salutes from the top of a mobile artillery cannon as his convoy starts pulling back from Donetsk February 28, 2015. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

KIEV(Reuters) - Ukraine's military said on Saturday there had been a significant decrease in attacks by pro-Russian separatists in the east overnight, but said rebels had fired GRAD missiles at the town of Avdiivka despite a two-week-old ceasefire deal.

On Friday, Ukraine reported the first deaths among its servicemen in three days, underscoring the fragility of the truce meant to have taken effect on Feb. 15, as government troops and rebels pulled back heavy weapons from the frontline.