Self-proclaimed republics' lighter weapons pullback from contact line in East Ukraine

The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic had pulled back five tanks and 77 infantry combat vehicles and armored personnel carriers earlier on Monday, the DPR's spokesman said

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The self-proclaimed republics of east Ukraine announced withdrawal of tanks and armoured vehicles equipped with weapons under 100mm calibre to a distance of at least three kilometres from the line of engagement on July 19

A spokesman for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic's (DPR) defense ministry said DPR planned to fully complete the withdrawal of lighter weapons from the contact line on July 21

The DPR had pulled back five tanks and 77 infantry combat vehicles and armored personnel carriers earlier on Monday, the spokesman also said

Possible withdrawal of such weapons had been discussed at Minsk talks on a settlement in Donbas but no agreement on the matter was reached with Kiev

The two republics have decided on unilateral withdrawal in the interests of the soonest peace settlement

Observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission said in their daily report on Monday that they witnessed the pullback of two columns of weapons of under 100mm caliber from the line of contact in the troubled Donbas region

"The [OSCE] Special Monitoring Mission, along with media representatives [...] observed a column of three MBTs (T-64) move approximately 1.28km south-east and into a forest near the town," the OSCE report said

DPR's representative said he was surprised to hear that the OSCE is nevertheless not ready to confirm DPR’s withdrawal of weapons of a caliber less than 100mm from the kine of engagement

DPR troops withdrawing military hardware

An OSCE observer taking notes as DPR troops withdraw military hardware

The self-proclaimed republics of Donbas announced withdrawal of tanks and armoured vehicles equipped with weapons under 100mm calibre to a distance of at least three kilometres from the line of engagement on July 19. The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic had pulled back five tanks and 77 infantry combat vehicles and armored personnel carriers earlier on Monday, the DPR's spokesman said. Observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission said in their daily report that they witnessed the pullback of two columns of weapons from the line of contact in the troubled Donbas region but didnt confirm the withdrawal. DPR and LPR small weapons pullback - in photo gallery by TASS.