Ukraine army, pro-Russians launch last phase of withdrawal from eastern regions

Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia forces have launched the last phase of withdrawal from conflict-ridden regions in eastern Ukraine amid hopes that a complete pullout can usher in key talks between the two countries.

The drawdown began in the Donetsk and Lugansk industrial regions, known as Donbass, on Saturday, news outlets revealed.

"Shortly after 12:00 [Eastern European Time] on 9 November, the SMM (Special Monitoring Mission into Ukraine) observed the beginning of the disengagement process at the Petrivske disengagement area," monitors with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said in a statement.

"The Mission will continue to monitor and verify the disengagement process," the statement added.

The regions plunged into conflict after March 2014, when the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in southern Europe voted in a referendum in favor of rejoining Russia. The conflict, which saw Ukraine’s military trying to quell pro-Russia protests in the region, is believed to have killed around 13,000 people.

A ceasefire brokered in Belarus in the following year failed to stop the fighting, with Moscow and Kiev accusing each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

In May, however, comedian-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky came to power, seeking to establish dialog with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and revive the peace process.

A complete withdrawal from the Ukrainian regions is a precondition for face-to-face talks between the heads of state, which are expected to take place in Paris, with France and Germany as mediators. A similar pullback took place in Lugansk in October.

PressTV-Ukraine army, pro-Russia forces withdraw from east

The Ukrainian army and pro-Russian forces have started withdrawing from a key area in the country’s volatile east as part of a deal to end the long-running conflict in the region.

“The Normandy format (the expected four-way talks) aims to renew dialog, which can bring us closer to the complete end of the war," Zelensky said this week.

Russia has also said it backs such a summit. “But at the same time we consider this summit has to be well organized to ensure it gets the necessary results," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, said.

He, meanwhile, added that it was "too early to say" whether the meeting could take place this year because "many questions" remained unresolved.

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