Ukrainian forces surrounded the rebel-held port city of Mariupol in fighting with pro-Russian separatists after launching a dawn attack on Friday, the country's interior minister said on his Facebook page.
_0">The rebel forces, who oppose the pro-European leadership in the capital Kiev, confirmed fighting was under way and said five of their number had been killed. Mariupol is Ukraine's largest Azov Sea port, and is important for steel exports.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)