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OSCE confirms pullback of heavy armaments from Donbass continues, notes faults

The OSCE urges all parties involved in the activity of the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC) to continue working in Donbass

Ertugrul Apakan, right (archive) EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

Ertugrul Apakan, right (archive)

© EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

VIENNA, January 28./TASS/. Agreements on pullback of heavy weaponry and weapons of caliber less than 100mm and mortars up to 120-mm caliber from Ukraine’s war-torn Donbass are being implemented on the whole, the head of the Special Monitoring Mission of the Oganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Ertugrul Apakan, said on Thursday, marking also faults in this activity.

The Package of Measures on implementation of the September 2014 Minsk Agreements (Minsk-2) envisions an overwhelming cessation of fire and withdrawal of heavy armaments to create in Donbass a security area at least 50 kilometers wide.

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According to the official, the OSCE urges all parties involved in the activity of the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC) to continue working in Donbass.

He said the mission was ready to increase the number of observers cooperating with the Center on issues of violation of truce and pullback of armaments.

Earlier, Russia’s Permanent Representative to OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said the OSCE would try to establish shortly the reasons behind Ukraine’s decision to recall its officers from the Joint Control and Coordination Centre.

News came on Tuesday that the Ukrainian military had received an order to withdraw from the JCCC almost in all the districts of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

"The very fact of this unexpected, even for the OSCE, withdrawal of the Ukrainian military from the JCCC, which used to be created on the initiative of the Ukrainian leadership to reduce tensions in the conflict zone, is adding an additional touch to information for meditation," Lukashevich said.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, for its turn, dismissed information about recalling its officers, saying it was rotation.

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