MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. The Joint Centre for Control and Co-operation monitoring the ceasefire has confirmed the implementation by the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic of all commitments on the withdrawal of weapons under 100mm caliber from the line of contact, its representative told on Thursday.
"We state the implementation by the LPR of all commitments assumed within the framework of a supplement to the Package of measures for the implementation of the February 12, 2015 Minsk agreements," the LuganskInformCentre news agency quoted him as saying.
On October 20, the republic’s militias completed the second stage of weapons pullback, in which tanks were withdrawn. The first stage was completed on October 15.
Since September 1, the sides to the Ukrainian conflict agreed a complete cessation of fire along the contact line in line with the Minsk peace deal. The ceasefire became the main condition for a new withdrawal of weapons in compliance with the document initialled by the Contact Group on September 29 and later signed by the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk and Kiev as well.
The supplement to the Package of measures on implementing the Minsk Agreements from 12 February 2015 was agreed upon on September 29 at the negotiations of the Contact Group in Minsk. The supplement envisages withdrawal of tanks, artillery weapons of less than 100mm caliber, and mortars of equal to or less than 120mm caliber to a distance of 15 kilometers from the contact line in Donbas.
According to the document, tanks were to be withdrawn first, followed by artillery systems of less than 100mm caliber and then mortars of less than 120mm caliber. The Donetsk People’s Republic completed withdrawing tanks on October 22 and artillery on October 28.