MOSCOW—Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday announced a unilateral ceasefire starting at midnight Wednesday, which could be a major step in solving the conflict that has raged for more than two years. Igor Plotnitsky, leader of the self-proclaimed part of the Luhansk region, also announced a ceasefire on Tuesday. It’s the first time that that the separatists, who are widely believed to be controlled by Moscow, have come with an idea of a unilateral ceasefire. At least three government troops have been killed and 15 wounded in fighting in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, officials said. The announcement comes a few hours after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that he expects the parliament to vote soon on constitutional amendments granting more autonomy to Ukrainian provinces, including the rebellious eastern regions.

Source: thestar September 13, 2016 19:30 UTC