Gryzlov accuses Kyiv of defying Contact Group decisions on heavy weapons withdrawal from areas near contact line in Donbas
MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Kyiv is disrupting implementation of Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) decisions on the settlement in eastern Ukraine with regard to withdrawal of weapons, Russian Envoy in the TCG Boris Gryzlov said.
"I would like to once again remind the Ukrainian leadership about the statement adopted by the Contact Group on February 1. In this [statement], the Contact Group urged the withdrawal of weapons affected by the Minsk Agreements beyond the designated lines to their places of storage by February 5. But Kyiv is disregarding the Contact Group decision on the withdrawal of heavy weapons," Gryzlov told reporters on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian armed forces have yet to fulfill this utmost important paragraph of the statement, he said. "We know it from reports by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission and those coming from the areas adjacent to the line of separation in Donbas that movement of heavy armor, the advance of weapons and ammunition are still ongoing in the area controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces," Gryzlov said.
Particularly disturbing was the shelling of the Mayorsk checkpoint by Ukrainian armed forces that fired mortars late on February 6, he added.
"Luckily, the incident was without casualties," he remarked. However, Gryzlov added, what happened there proves once again that there is every reason to worry about safety of the people crossing the line of separation.