Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has hailed a "breakthrough" ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, but does not expect the deal to stymie efforts to bring the MH17 attackers to justice.

Russia has distributed text of the agreement, which includes a pledge of "amnesty" to prohibit punishment for "events that took place in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine".

Wreckage of the MH17 in a field in eastern Ukraine. Credit:Kate Geraghty

It was this region that the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was brought down in July 2014.

Ms Bishop welcomed news of the ceasefire, hammered out on Thursday by leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in the Belarus capital Minsk.