A Ukrainian soldier and an elderly woman have been killed as government forces and separatists clashed in the first violation of a holiday truce, a Ukraine military spokesman said Sunday.

The victims are the first since the warring sides agreed on Tuesday to halt fire through the New Year holidays in the latest attempt to cease hostilities, after a series of previous attempts had failed.

Ukraine's military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said separatist fighters had deployed light weapons, grenade launchers, machine guns, mortar launchers and a tank against Kiev's forces.