The occupants continue to violate the agreements on the withdrawal of weapons in Donbas. The OSCE mission recorded that the militants had deployed military equipment and weapons with violations. As indicated in the report, this refers to 20 howitzers, 8 tanks, and 6 multiple-launch rocket systems located in areas not controlled by the Ukrainian government in the Donetsk region. Armaments and equipment were detected even in three residential areas.
The observers recorded 6 more tanks, 2 anti-aircraft missile systems, and 1 mortar behind the withdrawal line, but in places prohibited for storing this equipment. They also reported 16 armored combat vehicles at the range where they are prohibited from being deployed.
In general, the OSCE mission counted 102 weapons in ORDLO (temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine) located in violation of the withdrawal lines and outside the designated storage sites (12 units in violation of the withdrawal line, 73 outside the designated storage sites, another 17 were in the security zone).
In the report, the organization once again noted systemic obstacles to the work of patrols by the occupiers.
Context. In April of this year, Russia welcomed the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the Kremlin warned that the dialogue would only concern bilateral relations—there would be no talks about Donbas.
