Donetsk, Feb 6 – DAN. Ukraine did not confirm the withdrawal of weapons banned under the Minsk Agreements to permanent storage sites, which means they are still present on the line of contact, said DPR envoy to Minsk negotiations Denis Pushilin.
"The OSCE SMM did not have information that heavy artillery and tanks were pulled back to permanent storage sites, set within the frame work of the Minsk Agreements. On our side we are ready to provide data on our weapons withdrawn to the permanent storage sites, that we listed. On Ukraine’s side the information is unconfirmed. Consequently, the weapons are still on their positions and it raises questions."
Under the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements signed by the Contact Group on February 12, 2015, the sides have to withdraw their artillery systems of 100 mm calibre or more to a distance of 50 kilometres apart from each other, multiple launch rocket systems Tornado, Uragan and Smerch to a distance of 70 kilometres and Tactical Missile Systems Tochka to a distance of 140 kilometres. The Addendum to the Minsk Agreements signed in September provides for the parties’ withdrawal of their artillery systems of a calibre less than 100 mm, as well as tanks and mortars. *ot*