MOSCOW, November 19 /TASS/. The completion of withdrawal of tanks, mortar launchers and weapons with a caliber under 100 mm from the contact line in southeastern Ukraine is a vital step towards de-escalation of tensions but the growing number of provocations and skirmishes is worrisome, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"On November 12, the representatives of Kiev and Donbas notified the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine in writing that they had fulfilled their commitments regarding the pullout of tanks and artillery guns with a caliber under 100mm and mortar launchers with a caliber under 120 mm (from the disengagement line). Now, the places of permanent deployment of the withdrawn weapons should be inspected by OSCE monitors," Zakharova said.

"The pullout’s completion is a vital step towards de-escalation of tensions in southeastern Ukraine," the Russian diplomat went on to say.

"At the same time, the fact that provocations and skirmishes between the parties, which use the forbidden types of heavy and light weapons, have recently become more frequent on the disengagement line cannot but arouse our concern," she stressed.