ROSTOV-ON-DON (Sputnik) – The planned withdrawal of heavy weaponry in eastern Ukraine proceeds in the "extremely tense" environment, a negotiator for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said Thursday.
"As far as the weaponry withdrawal is concerned, the situation is extremely tense in the sense that while we continue to withdraw our weapons, the Ukrainian side makes no such effort," Denis Pushilin said.
Kiev forces and Donbas independence supporters have been in a state of military confrontation since April 2014. On February 12, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France worked out a peace deal that envisaged, among other steps, the pullout of heavy artillery from the line of contact.
The warring sides were expected to start withdrawing heavy arms no later than on the second day of the agreed upon ceasefire that came into force on February 15.
Donbas militia began to pull the weaponry out only this Tuesday, while Kiev authorities have not done so yet, saying that the ceasefire is not stable enough.
