Donetsk, Oct 31 - DAN. The measures to eliminate violations in the security zone in the Petrovskoye village area will be launched on Monday, November 4, the Donetsk People’s Republic envoy to the Contact Group talks, Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova told the Donetsk News Agency on Thursday.
“On October 29, the Contact Group in Minsk agreed the two key dates of the implementation of measures in the disengagement zone in the Petrovskoye settlement area, in accordance with the previously approved plan,” Nikonorova said. “November 4 marks the beginning of practical moves to eliminate violations in the zone where the pull-out took place in 2016, while November 2 marks the launching of preparations.”
On November 3, Donetsk will notify the monitors about its readiness for disengagement, she said. Meanwhile, Ukraine announced the withdrawal date despite the accord not to disclose it.
“We hope that it is not a special move by Ukraine to use such pretexts as seven-day ceasefire and uncontrolled nationalists squads in case something goes wrong,” the DPR diplomat said. “As the Zolotoye example shows, it is quite possible to pacify the radical armed militants and launch the disengagement process.”
The DPR representatives will fire a white flare to signal readiness for practical disengagement measures at 13:00, Moscow time, on November 4, Nikonorova said.
The DPR and Ukraine were to have begun the elimination of violations in the Petrovskoye-Bogdanovka disengagement zone on October 9 - 11, 2019, in accordance with the schedule approved by the Contact Group on October 1. However, Ukraine failed the disengagement.
Under the Minsk Contact Group framework agreement, the Petrovskoye village is on the list of pilot Donbas areas of disengagement of forces and hardware. The sides withdrew their units back in October 2016, but Ukrainian troops were later sighted in the area again. Donetsk has been demanding that Kiev restore parity and pull back its troops from the disengagement area.*jk