A new ceasefire comes into effect in the Donbas
Another ceasefire has been declared in the Antiterrorist Operation (ATO) zone in the Donbas. An “absolute armistice” agreement was reached by the participants in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) in Minsk (Belarus) on February 28. On March 2, the TCG participants declared comprehensive and indefinite ceasefire in the ATO zone starting on midnight beginning March 5.
The armistice bans any offensives and intelligence operations, firing in direction of or from all population centers, and deployment and utilization of heavy military hardware in population centers or near them. The parties also must not fire upon civilian infrastructure facilities such as schools, day care facilities and hospitals.
The last ceasefire in the Donbas was announced on December 23, 2017. It was also expected to be comprehensive and indefinite but a full ceasefire has never been achieved.