The withdrawal of forces at Donbass breeding sites is scheduled for October 9

The process of eliminating violations at the Donbass force-breeding sites will begin with the OSCE transmitting information on the situation of forces, their withdrawal is scheduled for October 9, journalists were told at a representative office of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic at the Joint Center for the Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (JCCC) on Saturday.

Earlier, the OSCE Special Representative Martin Saidik, following the meeting of the contact group in Minsk, announced that the withdrawal of forces and assets in Zolotoy and Petrovsky in Donbass will resume on October 7.

“On Monday, the DPR’s representation in the JCCC and in the negotiation process will transmit to the OSCE SMM information on the initial location of the forces and equipment in the breeding area No. 3, as well as information on the planned location of these forces and equipment after the completion of the activities”, – said the representative of the DPR in the JCCC.

According to him, on Tuesday the parties will have to confirm their readiness to proceed with the withdrawal of forces and assets.

“On Wednesday, after the parties launch the signal missiles notifying of their readiness for withdrawal, the process to eliminate the violations recorded by the OSCE SMM – the removal of detected weapons and armed persons from the breeding sites, which will be carried out within three days, will begin synchronously and specularly”, – the Department said.

According to the plan, on October 12, the parties will have to notify the OSCE of the completion of the withdrawal of forces and confirm their readiness to proceed with the dismantling of fortifications and clearance. 

In 2016, the contact group to resolve the situation in Ukraine signed a framework decision on the deployment of forces and means of the parties to the conflict in the Donbass. The withdrawal of forces in the area of the settlements of Zolotoye and Petrovsky took place in 2016, and in the Village of Lugansk – in June 2019. At the same time, the DPR and LPR repeatedly stated that the Ukrainian security forces had advanced deeper into the breeding areas in the Petrovsky and Zolotoy districts, and insisted on restoring parity.