Kiev Ready for Artillery Withdrawal, Waits for Militia to Pull Back Weapons

Government forces are ready for withdrawal of heavy artillery in eastern Ukraine, but they are waiting for withdrawal of militia's artillery, according to the statement of Kiev military spokesperson Andriy Lysenko.

KIEV, (Sputnik) – The Ukrainian government forces have prepared platforms to withdraw heavy artillery in eastern Ukraine's Donbas, but will start the process only after independence militias do so, a Kiev military spokesperson said Sunday.

The withdrawal of artillery from the line of contact is one of the key points of a ceasefire deal, reached earlier in the week. Shellings have killed hundreds of civilians in Donbas since the conflict broke out in April last year.

"The withdrawal of heavy artillery, which is the second point of the Minsk agreements – we shall do everything, we shall do it analogously if our opponent starts doing it," Andriy Lysenko said.

"We have information that militias are not yet preparing a platform for heavy weaponry withdrawal," the spokesman added.

Lysenko stressed the the government forces are ready to conduct a prisoner exchange and for other steps described in the Minsk deal. He added that Kiev expected militias to adhere to the agreements, as well.

The leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany and Russia held a meeting in Minsk Wednesday and early Thursday that resulted in a political deal on Ukrainian reconciliation.