Disengagement of separatist forces and the Ukrainian Army in the Donbas has been postponed
The disengagement of separatist forces the Ukrainian army in the that has been carried out in the village of Zolote has been postponed in other areas due to ceasefire violations, stated the head of the Ukrainian side of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the ceasefire (JCCC), General Borys Kremenetsky, on the channel 112 Ukraine.
He said that an increasing number of attacks in the Donbas will affect the terms of disengagement on the border line.
“Of course it will have an effect, and in the last 24 hours have been seeing a significant increase of shelling,” Kremenetsky said.
Thus, according to him, the disengagement of forces in Stanytsia Luhanska is not yet possible due to separatists’ attacks.
“I would like to refrain from commenting or setting a time frame because yesterday and the day before we saw shelling in Stanytsia Luhanska. Specialists from the Joint Center recorded these violations and today we provide them to the OSCE for consideration,” he said.
Kremenetsky also added that disengagement of the parties cannot be started in Petrivske until separatists ensure the free movement of the OSCE observers and clear the territory of mines.
“According to the framework agreement, as written there, free movement of the OSCE should be ensured. In our view, the separatists of the Donetsk region has to clear their territory of mines and ensure free movement of the OSCE mission,” he explained.
He added that, for its part, engineering works in three areas are being conducted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine; observation posts of the OSCE and JCCC officers are being built. The territory is being cleared of mines and existing barriers are being marked.
According to him, for now Zolote is the only area where the disengagement of forces has been achieved.
“Yesterday we conducted a disengagement of forces near Zolote from certain districts of the Luhansk region. An officer from Russia participated, and from Ukraine, myself. The OSCE patrols from both sides were present as well,” the head of the Ukrainian part of the JCCC said.
In the morning on October 1, another attempt to peacefully settle the conflict between Kyiv and the separatists began. This includes the withdrawal of forces and weapons in three pilot zones at the contact line.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of France and Germany facilitated the ceasefire agreement during their visit to Ukraine in September. This agreement is expected to revive the negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Donbas.