Disengagement of forces and equipment in Donbass

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«During the video-conference on 2nd of September, the contact group did not agree on the documents for the mine clearance, and the withdrawal of the military forces in Donbass» — said the plenipotentiary of the DPR in the Contact Group, the Foreign Minister of the DPR — Natalya Nikonorova. Recently the official website of the office of the Ukrainian President stated that the Contact Group, allegedly, agreed on 4 new areas for the withdrawal of forces, as well as 19 points for the mine clearance in Donbass. Natalia Nikonorova explained that there is indeed a preliminary consensus between the parties on those projects. “However, this does not mean the final agreement” — she concluded.

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Despite the additional measures, taken to enhance and control the existing ceasefire, and the fact that the situation has stabilized on the front line — the Ukrainian troops are not going to fully fulfill their obligations. From 27th of July to 31st of August of 2020, the Ukrainian troops committed 123 violations of the additional measures of the ceasefire. 23 times they carried out shellings, 29 times they used UAVs. The observers from the People’s Militias of the DPR and the LPR recorded 71 cases of combat engineering activity. In August, 2 servicemen of the Donbas Republics were wounded. One militiaman was killed.

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«Over 50 Ukrainian servicemen suffered from a fire caused by an explosion of the ammo depots in the zone of the so-called Joint Forces Operation» — said Yakov Osadchy, an official representative of the People’s Militia of the LPR. He clarified that according to the People’s Militia of the LPR — “the total number of victims of the fire went over 50 Ukrainian servicemen who tried to stop the spread of the fire on their own. 8 servicemen are currently missing. 6 died from the explosions. Only 4 of the dead were identified” — Yakov Osadchiy specified, and added that the fire also destroyed 7 military vehicles.

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»The Ukrainian Forces are using UAVs more often. Over the past 2 weeks, the representatives of Donbass have recorded 35 cases of crossing the line of contact” — Boris Gryzlov, the Russian plenipotentiary envoy to the contact group for Donbass, told to the reporters. He added that on Wednesday, the representatives of the DPR and the LPR raised the issue of the violations of the ceasefire by Ukraine. According to him — the Donbass Republics have noticed how the Ukrainian troops are creating new military positions in forbidden locations. “Ukraine is violating the previous agreements on the withdrawal of forces, even in the districts of Petrovskoe and Zolotoe. These violations were confirmed by the OSCE. The violations of the agreements pose a threat to the ceasefire» — Boris Gryzlov concluded.

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«The Ukrainian troops are expanding their trenches in a violation of the additional measures, taken to ensure the ceasefire. They are making dugouts near the residential buildings in the zone of the so-called ‘joint forces operation» — said the press service officer of the People’s Militia of the LPR, Alexander Mazeykin. “Our scouts detected an expansion of the Ukrainian trenches near the residential buildings of the village of Krimskoe by the servicemen of the 14th Ukrainian brigade” he explained and added that the Ukrainian troops «intentionally violate the additional measures, taken to enhance and control the ceasefire».

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The state security officers of the LPR found a stash of the Ukrainian troops near the Luhansk airport. There were 2 AA missile systems ‘Igla’ and 2 anti-tank grenade launchers in the stash — the press service of the department reported and clarified that the stash was left by the Ukrainian troops during the fighting in 2014. Constantine Reztsov, specially for ANNA NEWS.