President Petro Poroshenko’s much-publicised peace plan for Ukraine is said to call for a 10-kilometre buffer zone to be created on the border with Russia.

Separatists who lay down their arms and who have not committed “serious crimes” will be immune from prosecution.

This is according to Ukrainian media which has published a copy of the plan ahead of an official announcement expected on Friday (June 20).

Other parts of the plan would offer freedom from prosecution for separatists who put down their arms and had not committed “serious crimes” and require all hostages to be freed.

A corridor would be provided for “Russian and Ukrainian mercenaries” to leave the country safely and the clearing of all buildings held by rebel forces.

The plan comes despite a second successive day of heavy fighting in the east.

The latest clashes on Friday (June 20) are said to have happened about 100 kilometres from the Russian border.

The Ukrainian army says it has regained control of the frontier and can now stop equipment from reaching pro-Russian separatists.

Some 300 separatists were killed in clashes with government forces near the town of Krasny Liman on Thursday, according to Kyiv.

It said they had refused to give up their weapons in line with the peace plan – adding that seven from the government’s side also died.

A rebel commander admitted his forces had suffered “heavy losses”.