( CNN ) No agreement was reached in Belarus on Saturday in talks aimed at ending months of deadly fighting between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian rebels , a diplomat with knowledge of the discussions said . The talks in Belarus ' capital , Minsk , ended `` with no signature '' on any proposals `` after a couple of hours ( of ) discussions '' relating to the bitter conflict that has killed thousands of people in eastern Ukraine , the diplomat said on condition of anonymity . Discussions were unlikely to resume on Sunday , according to the diplomat . `` Differences were very wide and the atmosphere was described as not fruitful to agreement or cooperation , '' the diplomat said . At the meeting were representatives of the Ukrainian government , Russian government and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe , as well as representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People 's Republic and Luhansk People 's Republic , Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego , according to Ukraine 's national news agency , Ukrinform . The talks , which came on a week when fighting escalated in eastern Ukraine , had been expected to start Friday but were delayed . A previous ceasefire agreement negotiated in Minsk in September crumbled long ago . In the past 24 hours , 15 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 33 were wounded , Ukraine 's National Defense and Security Council said in its daily update on the situation . The town of Vuglegirsk was the focus of the fiercest fighting on Saturday , the NDSC said , adding that separatist forces are trying to seize it so they can attack the town of Debaltseve afterward . Debaltseve , northeast of Donetsk city , has been the scene of fierce fighting in recent days as separatist forces seek to surround Ukrainian troops . Ukrainian authorities have evacuated 310 civilians from Debaltseve , the NDSC said . But the town 's residents remain at risk . Twelve civilians have died in Debaltseve as the result of the militants ' shelling , Vyacheslav Abroskiv , Donetsk regional police chief , reported on his official Facebook page . He said he was in the town and that the shelling was continuing . The reports of civilian deaths in Debaltseve come a day after shelling in Donetsk city killed 12 people , according to an official with the pro-separatist City Council . CNN could not confirm 12 deaths in Donetsk , but its team in the city saw seven bodies after a series of shell blasts near the center . It 's not clear who is responsible for the shelling . In previous instances , each side has blamed the other . The chief monitor for the OSCE mission in Ukraine , Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan , condemned the shelling of densely populated civilian areas in eastern Ukraine . `` Yet again , innocent civilians have been impacted by the crisis , and yet again we are seeing more bloodshed , '' said Apakan . OSCE monitors were on the scene in Donetsk city Friday to examine what happened . `` It should be understood that the main outcome of such violence is a surge in human suffering . I urge all sides to exercise maximum restraint , and fully assume their responsibility to prevent further displacement and suffering , and to redouble their efforts to reach a political settlement , '' he said . The government in Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of fueling the violence by sending troops and military equipment over the border into Ukraine . Moscow denies the allegation , although it has said some Russian soldiers are fighting as volunteers . From mid-April to January 21 , the conflict killed at least 5,086 people and injured at least 10,948 others , according to the United Nations . Journalist Victoria Butenko and CNN 's Jason Hanna contributed to this report .
Saturday 's talks in Minsk went for two hours but yielded no signatures , diplomat says . Ukrainian military says fighting continues near Debaltseve .