Ukrainian defense minister confirms intention to begin withdrawal of mortars from division line in Luhansk region
Representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are working with the Russian side to study the circumstances surrounding the attack on Ukrainian army positions near Avdiyivka, Donetsk region, in which one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two were wounded, Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said.
"We are now investigating exactly what happened. The thing is that there are people on that side who are not controlled by the administrations of the so-called DPR/LPR and therefore our representative and Russian representatives are now verifying the information, and a decision on our further actions will only be made after that," the minister told reporters on Wednesday morning in Kyiv's Mykhailivska Square, where a show of modern weapons and equipment timed to coincide with the Ukrainian Defender's Day is taking place.
According to Poltorak, Kyiv "is ready to withdraw mortars in Sector A [Luhansk region] beginning from tomorrow, if everything is ok."
He recalled that weapons and tanks have already been withdrawn on this track and all the requirements outlined in the agreements signed in Minsk have been observed.
According to Kyiv, one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two were wounded in a ceasefire breach by the militants in Donbas on Tuesday.
