Ukraine Announces Complete Withdrawal of Light Artillery
KYIV – The Ukrainian military command announced on Friday that they have completed the withdrawal of light artillery from the separation line, under the Minsk agreements aimed at settling the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Leonid Matiujin, spokesman for the general staff of the Ukrainian army, confirmed that the Ukrainian side has completed the withdrawal.
In late September, Ukrainian authorities and the pro-Russian separatists, operating in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, agreed to withdraw light artillery to a distance of at least 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the line separating the forces of both sides.
The goal is to create a safe area over a distance of 30 kilometers (some 18 miles), where pro-Russian militias and Ukrainian troops can only deploy troops armed with light weapons.
Under the Minsk agreement signed in February, the warring parties previously withdrew heavy artillery and rocket launchers from the front lines to a distance of 50 kilometers (31 miles) and then 70 kilometers (43 miles).
More than 8,000 people have died in the 19-month conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to the latest UN figures.