U.S. says deeply concerned by spike in violence in eastern Ukraine

Local residents have a meal at an emergency center after shelling hit supply infrastructure in the government-held industrial town of Avdiyivka, Ukraine January 31, 2017. REUTERS/Maksim Levin

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is "deeply concerned" with the spike in violence in eastern Ukraine, which has caused dozens of Ukrainian military and civilian casualties, the State Department said on Tuesday.

"To avert a larger humanitarian crisis, we call for an immediate, sustained ceasefire and full and unfettered access for" monitoring, acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.