Moscow slams Kiev for heavy weapons deployment

Moscow has slammed Kiev for violating a recent ceasefire deal with pro-Russia forces following reports of the deployment of heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the claims of the pullout of Ukrainian heavy weapons from the crisis-hit east are a “bluff.”

"The Russian Foreign Ministry has to emphasize that we are speaking of another serious violation of Minsk agreements that stipulate the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the contact line… The claims of Ukrainian authorities that all of its heavy weapons have been withdrawn are once again proving to be bluff," the ministry said.

The statement comes after the release of a video apparently showing heavy weaponry being used by the Ukrainian army at the contact line in Schyrokyne, "a place [which] must be monitored most closely by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) special mission."

Russia urged the Ukrainian side "not to mislead the international public opinion and faithfully fulfill its obligations under the Minsk accords."

This comes as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says his government has withdrawn its heavy artillery from the line of contact in eastern Ukraine.

OSCE mission

On Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said that Kiev was attempting to sideline the mission of the OSCE, which is tasked with monitoring the implementation of the truce, by falsely claiming that it is fulfilling its duty.

The OSCE has “significantly improved the quality of its reports,” the Russian official said.

He slammed a request by Ukraine for an international peacekeeping force to be deployed in the east, arguing that such a unilateral move undermines the Minsk truce deal.

Lavrov emphasized that the deployment of such a force can only take place if the pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine also back the move.

“The EU would never go to any region – be it southeastern Ukraine or anywhere else – unless the conflicting sides agree to such a mission,” Lavrov stated.

Ukraine’s warring sides reached a deal, dubbed Minsk II, at a summit attended by the leaders of Russia, France, and Germany in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk on February 11 and 12. The agreement introduced measures such as a ceasefire, which took effect on February 15, the pullout of heavy weapons, and constitutional reforms in Ukraine by the end of the year.

The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk have been hit by deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations in April last year to crush pro-Russia protests there.

More than 6,000 people have died in the conflict, the UN says. Around 1.5 million people have also been forced from their homes over the past months as a result of the turmoil.

DB/NN/HMV

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