LUHANSK, October 15. /TASS/. The self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic intends to observe the "silence regime", the republic’s head, Igor Plotnitsky, said on Wednesday.
“The silence regime is observed in general. We signed the Minsk agreements for good reason. If we pledge honour, we’ll stick to it,” he said.
“The silence regime has been repeatedly violated. But I can’t say these violations were as strong and powerful as in the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic). This is for good,” Plotnitsky said, adding “For our part, we’re doing everything possible to continue it.”
On October 14, Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Alexander Zakharchenko said the republic was not planning to withdraw heavy weaponry from the contact line due to Ukraine’s non-compliance with the silence regime.
“It’s nowhere for us to withdraw weaponry. Ukraine’s territory is much bigger, but it is no haste to withdraw it (weaponry),” Zakharchenko said.
Kiev is waiting for the results of parliamentary elections, he added.
“A possible attack (on Donetsk) may start just after the elections,” Zakharchenko supposed.
However, he said the Donetsk Republic authorities “would not want the war. But if they (the Kiev authorities) don’t understand the language of peace, we’re ready to talk with them in a different way”.
The Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics coordinated the silence regime on October 11.
“After that, under control of OSCE, heavy weaponry will be relocated. We are waiting for OSCE to confirm they are ready,” Zakharchenko said.
The parties to the Ukrainian conflict agreed on cessation of fire and exchange of prisoners during OSCE -mediated talks on September 5 in Belarusian capital Minsk. The ceasefire took effect the same day but reports said it has occasionally been violated.
Ceasefire and Minsk agreements
On September 20 in Minsk, the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine comprising representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE adopted a memorandum outlining the parameters for the implementation of commitments on the ceasefire in Ukraine laid down in the Minsk Protocol of September 5. The document contains nine points, including in particular a ban on the use of all armaments and withdrawal of weapons with the calibres of over 100 millimetres to a distance of 15 kilometres from the contact line from each side. The OSCE was tasked with controlling the implementation of memorandum provisions.
The document contains nine points, including in particular a ban on the use of all armaments and withdrawal of weapons with the calibres of over 100 millimetres to a distance of 15 kilometres from the contact line from each side. The OSCE was tasked with controlling the implementation of memorandum provisions.