Kiev fails disengagement in Petrovskoye area

Donetsk, Nov 4 – DAN. Kiev fails the disengagement of forces in Petrovskoye as no signal flare is fired at the Ukrainian side.

DPR representatives fired white signal flare in the Petrovskoye disengagement area to indicate their readiness for the renewal  of the disengagement of forces and hardware began in the Petrovskoye settlement area at 1 p.m.

As of 1.25 p.m. no signal was fired at the Ukrainian side.

“Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelenskiy has voiced his commitment to the disengagement in Petrovskoye more than once. But today the JFO command has sabotaged presidential orders, no disengagement transpired in Petrovskoye,” said DPR representative at the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) Ruslan Yakubov.

DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova confirmed on October 31 that measures to eliminate violations in the security zone in the Petrovskoye village area will be launched on Monday, November 4.

LPR and DPR representatives initialed a Framework Agreement on pullback of forces in Donbass on September 21-23, 2016, which was also signed by representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE. The document provides for three disengagement areas around Zolotoye, Stanitsa Luganskaya (LPR territory) and Petrovskoe (DPR territory). Security zones of at least zone two km wide and two km long are to be established in each sector.

The disengagement was completed in the Petrovskoye zone in October 2016 for the first time. Later Ukraine troops infiltrated back. Donetsk has been demanding to restore parity ever since.

The Contact Group endorsed a plan to eliminate violations in Petrovskoye (DPR) and Zolotoye (LPR) on October 1.

Last week, on October 29, the renewal of disengagement was completed in the Zolotoye area (LPR).

As for the Petrovskoye area the disengagement was planned for October 4, but Kiev derailed it. The next date will be discussed at the Minsk talks on November 12.

The Framework Agreement is key to further bilateral withdrawal of forces from the contact line which could significantly contribute to the peaceful settlement in the region. *ot

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