Ukrainian army withdrawal of heavy weapons depends on full ceasefire

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have prepared new positions for heavy armaments to be pulled back from the line of contact between the warring sides in Donbas but they are waiting for the militants to cease fire, anti-terrorist operation spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.

"The fulfillment of the first provision of the Minsk agreements is mandatory for the pullout of heavy weapons from the line of contact. One hundred and twelve attacks are not a ceasefire," he said at a press briefing on Monday.

So, Ukraine is not ready to remove its heavy weapons, Lysenko said. "In fact, we are ready but a ceasefire should come first," he remarked.

The first and keynote provision of the Minsk deal made on February 12, "an immediate and all-inclusive ceasefire in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions", took effect at 00:00 on Sunday, February 15.