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OSCE confirms pullback of heavy weaponry from contact line by LPR

The OSCE is receiving reports on an ongoing pullback of armaments by the Luhansk republic, but there is no confirmation of such actions by the DPR, Russia's ambassador to the OSCE says

VIENNA, February 18. /TASS/. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has confirmed pullback of heavy weaponry from the line of contact by self-defense forces of the unrecognized Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Russia's ambassador to the OSCE, Andrey Kelin told TASS.

"The OSCE is receiving reports on an ongoing pullback of armaments by the Luhansk republic," he said, adding that the organization did not have confirmations of pullback of weaponry by the Donetsk People’s Republic at the moment.

Kelin recalled that the authorities in Donetsk had named a simultaneous withdrawal of weaponry by the Ukrainian Army and National Guard units.

"The OSCE doesn’t have reports on it right now, although they’ve placed about twenty patrol teams along the line of contact and these patrols are expected to send in reports," he said.

The OSCE mission says that Ukrainian troops are ready to stop fire and let monitors visit Debaltsevo.

According to the mission’s special situation report the conflicting parties have not yet managed to agree a suspension of hostilities.