International monitors continue verifying tanks withdrawn by Ukrainian side from ATO zone – ATO Staff spokesman

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Kyiv, October 9, 2015. OSCE representatives have been conducting verification for two days now, having started on October 8 following a statement by the Ukrainian side on redeployment of equipment, said ATO Staff spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Anatoliy Stelmakh at a press briefing via Skype at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “International monitors will check whether the tanks withdrawn by the Ukrainian side match the declared quantity as well as their production identification numbers,” explained Lieutenant Colonel Stelmakh.

Militants were generally complying with the ceasefire in the ATO zone over October 6-8. Thus, the first stage of withdrawing tanks from the delimitation line in Luhansk region is completed. At the same time, militant armed provocations were registered in the ATO zone.

On October 6 the two-day process of withdrawing Ukrainian tanks in Luhansk region was completed. Military equipment was moved to preliminarily identified areas located not less than 15km away from the delimitation line. Already on October 7 militants violated the peace agreements. “At 12:25 militants fired upon a Ukrainian position in the area of Troyitske with antitank guided missiles. Engineering works were being conducted in the area. Militants made two missile launches. As a result one missile hit an excavator and four Ukrainian servicemen were wounded,” reminded Lieutenant Colonel Stelmakh. He also noted that the above-mentioned incident is the only violation of the peace agreements since September 30, 2015.

He also said that ATO forces are using the ceasefire to restore Donbas infrastructure and conduct de-mining works. A total of 36 de-mining groups are currently working in Donbas, 17 of them are directly deployed to frontline areas. “In September alone sappers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces discovered and neutralized over 4500 explosive items including home-made trip wires, ammunition and Russian-produced mines,” noted Lieutenant Colonel Stelmakh.