Ukrainian military have no intention of leaving Debaltseve
KYIV. Feb 13 (Interfax) - The city of Debaltseve should remain under the control of Ukraine under the agreement reached in Minsk on September 19, 2014 because the documents signed in the Belarusian capital on February 12 are not new agreements, but an approval of the set of measures aimed at implementing the agreements reached in September, Andriy Lysenko, an official representative of the headquarters of the military operation in Donbas, said.
"The thing is that these [the Minsk agreements of February 12] are not new agreements, it's a set of measures, which describe step by step what needs to happen to fulfill the agreements reached in Minsk in September 2014. That is, it's not some new documentation, it's a more detailed plan for implementing the Ukrainian president's plan," Lysenko told a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.
Lysenko said Debaltseve is to stay under the control of Ukraine under the September agreements. "Moreover, militant units are to retreat behind the division line stated in the memorandum signed in Minsk on September 19. And then, after the ceasefire, both sides, which have heavy weapons with calibers exceeding 100 mm, are to retreat at least 50 km from this division line," Lysenko said.
He said the Minsk agreements envisage the withdrawal of heavy weapons and artillery of calibers exceeding 100 mm "regardless of the name of the city, they are withdrawn from the division line on the entire territory in the conflict area."
"As soon as this regime has been maintained for two days under the observation of the OSCE international group and the trilateral contact group, which comprises Ukrainian and Russian officers and OSCE officials, a simultaneous withdrawal of heavy weapons will take place to avoid any provocations," Lysenko said.
Lysenko said there is a need for a monitoring, which will be conducted using three methods: visual, drones, and using space communications systems.
