Spot Report by OSCE SMM: Receipt of notifications on completion of withdrawal of forces and hardware in Petrivske disengagement area

On 12 November, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) received a letter from the armed formations in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk region, notifying that they had completed the withdrawal of forces and hardware in the agreed disengagement area near Petrivske.

On 13 November, the SMM received two Notes Verbales from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, one notifying that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had completed the withdrawal of forces and hardware in the agreed disengagement area near Petrivske.

The Mission had observed the beginning of the disengagement process at the disengagement area near Petrivske shortly after 12:00 (Eastern European Time) on 9 November when Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and members of the armed formations began leaving their positions, together with their weapons, and exiting the disengagement area (see SMM Spot Report 9 November 2019).

The SMM was present throughout the process of disengagement on the following days (see SMM Daily Reports of 11 November and 12 November 2019 for further information).

The second Note Verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the above-mentioned letter from the armed formations also contained notifications of readiness to begin the removal of fortifications and other installations of military value from the disengagement area, together with baseline information and geographical co-ordinates of these fortifications, and other installations of military value.

These notifications were provided to the SMM in accordance with a timeline, endorsed by the Trilateral Contact Group on 1 October 2019, regulating activities in the disengagement areas concerning the withdrawal of forces and hardware, the removal of fortifications and demining.

The second Note Verbale and the letter also notified that the removal of fortifications and other installations of military value would begin in line with the agreed timeline.

The Mission continues to actively monitor and will report on the situation.