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Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine say they are starting a full-scale unilateral withdrawal of their heavy weapons from the front line, while fresh talks on implementing a ceasefire began in Paris.

The self-declared Donetsk People's Republic plans to withdraw 96 artillery howitzers, militia leader Eduard Basurin said, according to the rebel-run Donetsk News Agency.

He added that the rebels had already withdrawn 20 units in recent days.

Ukrainian officials said on Monday that the country's forces will not withdraw their heavy weapons, citing continued ceasefire violations by the rebels.

On Tuesday, the military operations centre said that the rebels opened fire 12 times on Ukrainian positions.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the ceasefire, has said that it could not verify any weapons withdrawal in the conflict zone.

The withdrawal was planned to happen more than one week ago under the peace accord signed between Russia, Ukraine and the rebels in Minsk on February 12 under mediation from France and Germany.

It was delayed as both sides accused each other of violating the truce.

The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany were to hold fresh talks on implementing the ceasefire in Paris on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that implementing the Minsk agreements was the key to a lasting ceasefire in the region.

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Ukraine rebels 'withdrawing weapons'