Kuchma observes forces' disengagement near Stanytsia Luhanska - media
KYIV. June 28 (Interfax) - Steps to disengage forces and military hardware of the sides in the Donbas conflict near Stanytsia Luhanska have entered their third day, with former Ukrainian President and Kyiv's envoy to the Trilateral Contact Group Leonid Kuchma monitoring the efforts on Friday, the online media outlet Novosti Donbasa said.
According to the website, Ukrainian forces had moved 500 meters and militia forces a kilometer and a half away from the contact line. Concrete blocks which servicemen used to hide behind are now being dismantled.
The bridge over the Siverskyi Donets River will be repaired once the disengagement of forces is completed, the online publication said. The International Committee of the Red Cross has allocated 60 million euros to fund the repairs.
Kuchma said that if the truce holds, it may take between one and a half and three months to repair the bridge.
The website published a photo showing Kuchma at the scene.
The headquarters of Kyiv's Joint Forces Operation said on June 26 that the first stage of Ukrainian units' withdrawal from the contact line had taken place near the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint under the observation of the OSCE.