Nearly 300 pro-Russian separatists lost their lives this week in the latest string of violence between rebel forces and government troops in eastern Ukraine.
Friday was the second day in a row that fighting occurred between the two sides, fueled by the separatists' refusal to stand down in accordance with a peace agreement proposed by President Petro Poroshenko, officials told Reuters.
Anti-government rebels previously declared they will not be forced to negotiate.
"We will talk to them on our own terms," one rebel who identified himself as Pyotr told Reuters last week.
Most of the bloodshed occurred on Thursday, when some 300 separatists were killed by artillery fire or air attacks near the villages of Yampil and Zakitne, government forces told Reuters.
The exact death toll could not be confirmed, but rebels said they suffered "heavy losses" and did not have enough gunfire and armor to match their opponents.
Government officials said they lost seven troops during Thursday's fighting that began near the town of Krasny Liman, Reuters reported.
The separatists also had several of their weapons seized, according to Vladyslav Seleznyov, a spokesman for the government "anti-terrorist operation" in the capital Kiev, Reuters reported. Weapons included a shoulder-launched missile, grenade launchers and a truck with a machine gun on top.
"Losses to Ukrainian servicemen are seven dead and 30 wounded. Military action is continuing," Seleznyov said.
The bloodshed comes less than a week after rebels shot down a military plane transporting ammunition to government authorities near the Russian border, killing all 49 servicemen onboard. It was the highest loss suffered by Ukraine forces ever since the conflict began.
Violence in eastern Ukraine brokeout shortly after pro-Russian president Victor Yanukovych was ousted last winter. Russia, which annexed the eastern peninsula of Crimea in March, has repeatedly denied accusations that it is encouraging and supplying the separatists.
