Ukrainian Army Says Did Not Receive Orders to Withdraw Weapons in Donbass

There are no documents, order that would oblige Ukrainian army to withdraw weapons and vehicles to certain distances - weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm, according to a spokesman for the General Staff of Ukraine.

KIEV (Sputnik) — The Ukrainian military has not received an order to begin withdrawal of its weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, a spokesman for the General Staff of Ukraine said Sunday.

On Saturday, both Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) stated they decided to unilaterally withdraw heavy weapons to a distance of at least 1.9 miles from the line of contact with government troops. The process began with the supervision of Organization of Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) monitors.

"Documents, orders that would oblige us to withdraw weapons and vehicles to certain distances — weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm — we have not got them", Vladislav Seleznev told the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly urged the warring sides to start the process of small-caliber artillery withdrawal.

On Saturday, DPR envoy to the Ukraine reconciliation talks Denis Pushilin accused Kiev of continually concocting excuses to hinder an agreement on the issue.

The warring sides agreed to pull out heavy arms with a caliber of more than 100mm as part of a ceasefire deal in February.