Government forces have pulled out of an encircled town in eastern Ukraine after a fierce assault by Russian-backed separatists which Kiev and Europe said violated a crumbling ceasefire.

President Petro Poroshenko said more than 80 per cent of his troops had left the rail hub following a heavy bombardment and street-by-street battles which he said showed "the true face of the bandits and separatists who are supported by Russia".

The rebels say the ceasefire, negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France at a summit in Belarus last week, does not apply to Debaltseve, which links the two rebel-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said: "The actions by the Russia-backed separatists in Debaltseve are a clear violation of the ceasefire.

"The EU stands ready to take appropriate action in case the fighting and other negative developments in violation of the Minsk agreements continue."

further economic sanctions on Moscow.

There was little hope when the deal was signed last Thursday in the Belarussian capital Minsk by the rebels, Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE security watchdog that it would hold for long, but its seeming swift collapse has surprised many.

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg voiced deep concern about the deteriorating situation in and around Debaltseve, saying: "The refusal of the separatists to respect the ceasefire threatens the agreement."

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Europe should at least extend its sanctions against Moscow if the ceasefire broke down.

A German government spokesman said the Minsk agreement had been damaged though it made sense to try to implement it.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin showed no sign of backing down over Ukraine, when he urged Kiev's pro-Western leaders to let their soldiers surrender to avoid more bloodshed.

Hours later, the Ukrainian withdrawal was under way with weary Ukrainian troops, some in military columns, some in cars, arriving in Artemivsk, about 20 miles north of Debaltseve.

For Mr Poroshenko, the retreat may have saved the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers who were all but trapped in the town against a better-equipped army.

But another military defeat, coming as Ukraine approaches the first anniversary of the overthrow of the Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovich, may be difficult to stomach for a population weary of a long conflict and could further damage Mr Poroshenko's standing.

Pro-Kiev commanders said some forces had pulled out but there were reports of continued fighting in the town, with retreating Ukrainian forces still coming under attack.

Even before the Ukrainian troops were forced to pull back, last week's peace deal had all but collapsed, with both sides failing to withdraw heavy guns as required after the rebels refused to halt their advance.

Rebels stepped up their offensive on Debaltseve almost immediately after the Minsk deal to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 5,000 people, was signed on Thursday.

The deal gave both sides until Sunday to lay down their arms, prompting some analysts to suggest the rebels felt they could take the town within that timeframe.

Russia has already annexed Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula, and Western countries believe Mr Putin's goal is to establish a "frozen conflict" in eastern Ukraine, gaining permanent leverage over a country of 45 million people seeking integration with Europe.