DONETSK (Sputnik) – Kiev is pulling up its weapons to the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine and could renew military operations in the beginning or April or end of March, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Alexander Zakharchenko said Monday at a briefing.
"We are staring to pull back the weapons, while Ukraine is pulling them in from Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk. I believe there will be a provocation. Ukraine will go in the end of March-beginning of April. Ukraine needs war," Zakharchenko said.
The ceasefire deal between independence militias and the Ukrainian government forces entered into force on February 15. Under the deal, the sides must withdraw heavy artillery from the line of contact. Both sides said that the ceasefire in Donbas is being generally observed.
Earlier this month, the deputy commander of the Donetsk militia Eduard Basurin said the withdrawal of heavy artillery in east Ukraine's Donbas region will start on Tuesday, February 24.