Receipt of notifications on completion of withdrawal of forces and hardware in Zolote disengagement area
This report is for the media and the general public.
On 1 November, the SMM received a letter from the armed formations in non-government-controlled areas of Luhansk region, notifying that they had completed the withdrawal of forces and hardware in the agreed disengagement area near Zolote.
On 2 November, the SMM received two Notes Verbales from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, notifying that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had completed the withdrawal of forces and hardware in the agreed disengagement area near Zolote.
The Mission had observed the beginning of the disengagement process at the disengagement area near Zolote shortly after 12:00 (Eastern European Time) on 29 October 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 29 October 2019).
The SMM was present throughout the process of disengagement on the following days (see SMM Daily Reports of 29 October, 30 October, 31 October and 1 November 2019 for further information).
The Notes Verbales from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the 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 Notes Verbales 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.