Ukraine ceasefire deal talks may be held on December 9 - Poroshenko

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko delivers a speech during a ceremony to hand over weapons and military equipment to servicemen and to mark the Day of the Armed Forces at an airdrome in Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region, in this December 6, 2014 handout photo provided by Ukraine's Presidential Press Service. REUTERS/Mikhail Palinchak/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Saturday a preliminary agreement had been reached to hold talks in Minsk on Dec. 9 on implementing the steps of a September ceasefire deal with eastern separatists, Interfax reported.

Clashes in east Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatist rebels are fighting Kiev government troops, have continued despite the signing of the ceasefire deal three months ago, and the death toll has risen to more than 4,300 since mid-April.