Donetsk People's Republic Sends To OSCE Data Necessary For Troop Pullout Near Petrivske

Representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) have handed over to the OSCE mission information about the positions of troops and militia in order to start the process of withdrawing forces near the Petrivske district, a spokesman for the DPR office at the Joint Center for Ceasefire Control and Coordination (JCCC) told reporters

DONETSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2019) Representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) have handed over to the OSCE mission information about the positions of troops and militia in order to start the process of withdrawing forces near the Petrivske district, a spokesman for the DPR office at the Joint Center for Ceasefire Control and Coordination (JCCC) told reporters.

Following the latest meeting of the Contact Group on Donbas in Minsk, Martin Sajdik, the special representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office in Ukraine, said the pullout of forces near Petrivske and Zolote would resume on October 7.

"Representatives of the DPR handed over to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission [SMM] the necessary information to begin the process of eliminating violations on the previously disengaged site in the Petrivske district," the spokesman said.

He clarified that the information was about the initial location of troops and militia in the area.

"The Ukrainian side must also send a similar notice to the SMM. On Tuesday, October 8, after the OSCE SMM confirms the receipt of information from both sides about the initial situation on the site, the sides will have to confirm their readiness to proceed with the renewed withdrawal of forces," the spokesperson said.

On October 1, the Contact Group on Ukraine met in Minsk and signed an agreement on a peace plan dubbed the "Steinmeier formula," which envisages a special status for Donbas in exchange for the latter holding local elections in line with Ukrainian law and under the oversight of the OSCE.

Kiev and the republics of Donbas also agreed in Minsk to start disengaging forces on the contact line. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko has, however, said that the pullout of forces near Petrivske and Zolote will not begin on Monday over what he described as ceasefire violations. Another attempt at disengagement may start in a week, according to the diplomat.