Donbass Independence Forces Unilaterally Withdraw More Weapons; Lavrov Calls on Kiev to Follow

The process of pulling out began after both the Lugansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic announced on Saturday that it was their intention to withdraw.

“Following the order from head of the Lugansk People’s Republic Igor Plotnitsky, we begin today a unilateral withdrawal from the line of engagement of the weapons under 100mm calibre to the distance of at least three kilometres,” from the line of contact, Kozlov said, adding that the withdrawal was being organized in the presence of the OSCE mission representatives.

Kozlov also said, “While demonstrating the adherence to the Minsk agreements, we are making this step openly and unilaterally hoping the Ukrainian side follows suit.”

On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had separate phone conversations with both German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin about the line of contact.  According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov emphasized in the conversation with Steinmeier, “the necessity of a speedy withdrawal of Ukrainian military units from the village of Shirokino where Donbass independence militia units have already been withdrawn,” reported Sputnik news.

In a February ceasefire agreement, both the Ukrainian military and the Donbass independence forces agreed to pull out weapons with a caliber of more than 100mm, but by late Sunday, Kiev was not honoring the moves by the LPR and DPR regarding weapons of lower caliber, reported Sputnik news.

“Documents, orders that would oblige us to withdraw weapons and vehicles to certain distances—weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm—we have not got them,” said Vladislav Seleznev, a spokesman for the General Staff of Ukraine, quoted in the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, Sputnik reported.