Photo Russia's War Against Ukraine EXCLUSIVE

Ukrainian forces, Russian-backed militants withdraw troops at third flashpoint (PHOTOS)

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Observers with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stand behind an officer launching signal rockets in order to start the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces near Bohdanivka, a village in Kyiv-controlled territory in Donetsk Oblast, on Nov. 9, 2019.
Photo by AFP

On Nov. 9, the Ukrainian army and Russian-backed militants launched the latest phase of troop withdrawals, a precondition for the first face-to-face peace talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. The pullback is taking place at a site near the villages of Petrivske, which is controlled by the militants, and Bohdanivka, which is controlled by Kyiv, in Donetsk Oblast.

The pullback is scheduled to occur over the course of three days and will be followed by 29 days of minesweeping and the deconstruction of old military fortifications.

Previously, Ukraine and the Russian-backed militants withdrew their forces and armaments at two other sites: Stanytsya Luhanska and Zolote in Luhansk Oblast. These pullbacks are aimed at removing the troops from each other’s immediate proximity at key flashpoints, thereby preventing firefights and military and civilian casualties.