28 Mar 2019 18:22

Ukraine's decision to unilaterally open checkpoint Zolote alarming - Luhansk

LUHANSK. March 28 (Interfax) - A checkpoint near the contact line in Donbas in the populated locality of Zolote will be opened under bilateral agreements between Luhansk and Kyiv, leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) Leonid Pasechnik said.

"We are certainly ready to open this checkpoint [the checkpoint Zolote], but on some reciprocal conditions, and under bilateral agreements," Pasechnik said on the Rossiya 24 (VGTRK) TV channel on Thursday.

"This kind of measures are not unilaterally undertaken and are categorically banned, because there is a combat contact line there, and, in fact, shells are being fired there," the LPR head said.

"Minefields are being planted there and it's categorically forbidden to allow people to go to these areas without some preliminary training, because we will expose their lives to a deadly threat," Pasechnik said.

As reported, Commander of the Ukrainian Joint Forces Serhiy Nayev and local public officials unilaterally opened the checkpoint Zolote on the contact line in Donbas last Sunday.

Luhansk has in advance brought to notice of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) that this kind of decision made by Kyiv could have had dangerous consequences, while Donetsk called Ukraine's steps as a provocation.