Pro-Russians withdraw heavy artillery from Ukraine frontline

The pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine say they have withdrawn heavy artillery from those areas of conflict where the Ukrainian army has also withdrawn from.

The prime minister of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, Alexander Zakharchenko, made the announcement on Tuesday, saying the move was in line with an agreement reached earlier between the two sides.

“We have withdrawn artillery but only in those areas where the Ukrainian regular units have done the same. Where Ukraine hasn’t withdrawn artillery, we also haven’t done so,” Zakharchenko said.

He explained that the weaponry removed is “artillery with caliber greater than 100 mm.”

The pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian military agreed to withdraw heavy artillery from the frontline in the restive eastern regions on Saturday. The two sides also agreed to establish a 30-kilometer-wide buffer zone in the area.

Zakharchenko also emphasized that the Ukrainian military is not fully observing the peace agreement, as “firing from the Ukrainian side is still going on as before.”

Earlier on September 5, the Ukrainian government and the pro-Russians inked a Russian-proposed truce pact aimed at putting an end to heavy clashes in Ukraine’s eastern provinces.

Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions in the east have witnessed deadly clashes between the pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations to silence pro-Russians in mid-April.

More than 3,000 people have reportedly been killed in the conflict.