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Heavy weapon withdrawal carried out in Ukraine's Lugansk region

Xinhua, October 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Ukrainian army has started withdrawing their heawy weapons from the frontline in the eastern Lugansk region, a government military spokesman Ruslan Tkachyk confirmed Monday.

Kiev and pro-independence insurgent forces, together with representatives of Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, reached an agreement last week to pull their tanks, mortars and artillery of less-than-100-millimeter caliber 15 kilometers away from the contact line to ensure ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. The ceasefire was established on Sept. 1.

"We began the simultaneous removal of T-64 and T-72 tanks, in certain areas -- anti-tank cannons D-48 and D-44 of 85 millimeter caliber and 2b-9 mortars of 82 millimeter caliber," Tkachyk said in a press statement.

The weapons pullback will be completed within 14 days, according to the newly signed agreement.

Rebels in Lugansk region started their withdrawal Saturday, while insurgents in the neighboring Donetsk region are due to start the pullback on Oct.18. Endit