KIEV: Three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and eight wounded in a fresh escalation of fighting between the government forces and rebels, Kiev said on Monday. Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said that fighting had intensified compared to a month ago and accused rebels of actively using heavy weapons including a Grad rocket launcher. “Over the past 24 hours, as a result of the hostilities, three Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and eight more wounded,” he said. The spokesman said that the fighting took place around the eastern rebel hub of Donetsk and the government-controlled town of Mariupol.