DPR Asks OSCE to Monitor Withdrawal of Less Than 100mm Weapons in E Ukraine

The self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) are currently awaiting Kiev’s response to proceed with the agreement to observe the withdrawal of weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, according to a DPR envoy to the Ukraine reconciliation talks Denis Pushilin.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) sent the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine a request to observe the withdrawal of weapons with a caliber of less than 100mm from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine, a DPR envoy to the Ukraine reconciliation talks said Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Donbass independence supporters stated they decided to unilaterally withdraw weapons to a distance of at least 1.8 miles from the line of contact with government troops.

"According to the Minsk agreements, control [over the ceasefire implementation] is assigned to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. Letters with proposals to withdraw weapons by 3 kilometers [1.8 miles] have been composed and they [the OSCE] must have received them," Denis Pushilin told the Rossiya 24 television channel.

Pushilin added that Donbass independence supporters are currently awaiting Kiev’s response to proceed with the agreement.

Under the February ceasefire deal reached in Minsk, both Kiev authorities and Donbass independence militias were to remove heavy weapons with a caliber of over 100mm, creating an 18-mile buffer zone.