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UN assessment mission to leave Ukraine this week — diplomat

The mission visited the areas controlled by self-defense militias in eastern Ukraine on February 3-4

UNITED NATIONS, February 5. /TASS/. The United Nations assessment mission that arrived in Ukraine at Kiev’s invitation in January 23 will leave the country until the end of this week, Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations Vladimir Yelchenko has told reporters.

"The UN mission will come back from Ukraine until late this week," the diplomat said on Thursday, adding that a meeting will be held with the members of the mission to discuss their impressions and the outcome of the work.

"We think that even if now the result will be to increase aid at the mined territories this will be already an important first step," Yelchenko said.

The mission visited the areas controlled by self-defense militias in eastern Ukraine on February 3-4, he added.

Yelchenko invited the assessment mission to Ukraine at the meeting with UN chief Ban Ki-moon in early January. The mission included representatives of various bodies of the international organization, namely the UN Development Program, UN Children's Fund and UN Service for mine clearing.

Last month, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin expressed concerns that the new initiative of Ukraine’s authorities was one of "smoke bombs" that they throw from time to time to "fog the non-implementation of the Minsk agreements."

The Ukrainian ambassador again said the UN Security Council members could visit Donbass and Kiev is working on the respective proposals. This visit could take place this summer.

The self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has earlier said Kiev’s initiative to invite ambassadors of the UN Security Council member states to Donbass runs counter to the Minsk peace agreements.