Ukrainian defense minister says Donbas disengagement controllable
KYIV. Nov 11 (Interfax) - Ukraine is acting as planned to disengage forces and hardware in Donbas, and the situation is controllable, Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zahorodnyuk said on the television channel 1+1 on Sunday night.
"The situation is fully controllable for our part," Zahorodnyuk said.
Kyiv proceeds in accordance with the plan, the minister added. "Disengagement is accomplished as planned after seven days of ceasefire; it follows the controllable scenario," he said.
The Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) approved disengagement in Zolote and Petrivske at its meeting in Minsk on October 1. The process was due to take place 1 kilometer from the contact line on the symmetrical basis.
Disengagement is a condition of the Normandy-format summit.
It was agreed to accomplish the disengagement process between October 7 and 11, yet several disengagement attempts failed through Kyiv's refusal to withdraw. Kyiv explained its decision with the militia's breach of the seven-day truce in the Petrivske and Zolote areas.
A new disengagement agreement was reached at the TCG meeting on October 29, and Kyiv suddenly announced the beginning of disengagement in Zolote. The self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) confirmed its readiness to withdraw, and the sides started the disengagement process, which was completed within three days.