OSCE SMM confirms completion of withdrawal of forces in Petrivske

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) has received letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Russian-backed armed formations in Donbas about the completion of withdrawal of forces and hardware in the agreed disengagement area near Petrivske.

The OSCE SMM stated this it a report posted on its website on November 13.

“On 12 November, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) received a letter from the armed formations in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, notifying that they had completed the withdrawal of forces and hardware in the agreed disengagement area near Petrivske. On 13 November, the SMM received two Notes Verbales from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, one notifying that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had completed the withdrawal of forces and hardware in the agreed disengagement area near Petrivske,” reads the report.

It is noted that the Mission had observed the beginning of the disengagement process at the disengagement area near Petrivske shortly after 12:00 (Eastern European Time) on November 9. The SMM was present throughout the process of disengagement on the following days,

“The second Note Verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the above-mentioned letter from the armed formations also contained notifications of readiness to begin the removal of fortifications and other installations of military value from the disengagement area, together with baseline information and geographical co-ordinates of these fortifications, and other installations of military value,” reads the report.

The Mission also added that these notifications were provided to the SMM in line with a timeline, endorsed by the Trilateral Contact Group on October 1, 2019, “regulating activities in the disengagement areas concerning the withdrawal of forces and hardware, the removal of fortifications and demining”.

“The second Note Verbale and the letter also notified that the removal of fortifications and other installations of military value would begin in line with the agreed timeline,” reads the report.

The Mission has added it continues to actively monitor and will issues reports on the situation.