Ukraine's acting defence minister said on Friday that his forces had "completely cleared" parts of the separatist east from pro-Russian rebels who have been waging a deadly insurgency since early April.

"Our armed forces have completed their assigned missions and completely clear the southern and western parts of the Donetsk region and the northern part of the Lugansk region from the separatists," acting Defence Minister Mykhailo Koval told reporters. (AFP)