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Kiev to Start Heavy Weaponry Withdrawal After 48 Hours of Real Ceasefire

© REUTERS / Baz RatnerFighters with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic army sit on top of mobile artillery units in the town of Debaltseve February 22, 2015
Fighters with the  self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic army sit on top of mobile artillery units in the town of Debaltseve February 22, 2015 - Sputnik International
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Kiev military spokesman stated that government is ready to start withdrawing its heavy weaponry from the line of contact after 48 hours of real ceasefire.

Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride an armoured personnel carrier near Artemivsk, eastern Ukraine, February 22, 2015 - Sputnik International
Kiev Starts Partial Withdrawal of Heavy Weaponry From Contact Line
KIEV (Sputnik) The Kiev government is ready to start withdrawing its heavy weaponry from the line of contact after 48 hours of real ceasefire, a Kiev military spokesman said Tuesday.

“If the militia observes the ceasefire for two days, it will be the only signal needed to start this withdrawal,” Andriy Lysenko said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the deputy commander of the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) militia Vitaly Kiselyov said that the Kiev armed forces have started a partial withdrawal of heavy artillery from the contact line in Donbas. He stressed that the ceasefire in the area was being strictly observed.

The deputy commander of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) militia Eduard Basurin also said Tuesday that the DPR was pulling its heavy weaponry back from the front line. However, Basurin found it difficult to say whether Kiev forces were doing the same.

Independence supporters drive armoured personnel carrier (APC) in the eastern Ukrainian city of Debaltseve in the Donetsk region, on February 22, 2015 - Sputnik International
East Ukraine's Luhansk Militia Confirms Withdrawal of Heavy Weaponry

The withdrawal of heavy artillery from the line of contact between Kiev forces and Donbas independence supporters is one of the measures stipulated by the new Minsk agreements on Ukrainian reconciliation, reached on February 12.

According to the deal, the sides were supposed to begin withdrawal no later than the second day after the ceasefire in the region came in force and complete it within 14 days. However, after the truce came into force on February 15 both Kiev and the eastern Ukraine militias have repeatedly accused each other of violating it.

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