You're reading: Russia-backed militants in Donbas withdraw weapons from contact line

Authorities of the Russia-backed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics have decided on the unilateral withdrawal of weapons with calibers under 100 millimeters to a distance of at least three kilometers from the contact line.

“To withdraw our units with tanks and armored vehicles carrying
weapons with calibers of less than 100 millimeters from the contact line to a
distance of at least three kilometers,” says a joint statement by DPR
head Alexander Zakharchenko and LPR representative Vladislav Deinego
published on the Donetsk news agency’s website on July 18.

DPR head Zakharchenko underlined that the armaments would be
withdrawn along the entire contact line but some problem sectors: the
areas north of Donetsk and Debaltseve.

“With regard to these areas, we are ready to hold dialogue on the
withdrawal of hardware and armaments in any format. But only with those
representatives of the Ukrainian administration that possess real power
and authority,” the statement said.

In turn, LPR representative Deinego said that the armaments would not
be pulled back in the area of Schastia until the Ukrainian side met its
commitments in other sectors.

“We are prepared to invite representatives of the OSCE mission to
this area for creating a permanent monitoring post in that sector,” he
underscored.