"I would like to note that the withdrawal of the Russian officers was a forced measure, and for this reason, [it was] early. Their shift was supposed to stay there for another month and a half," representative of the "DPR" in the JCCC Ruslan Yakubov was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry made a statement on December 18 that Russia was going to terminate the work of its representatives at the JCCC in Donbas. The Russian officers planned to leave Ukraine on December 19 allegedly due to the "tense moral and psychological situation" and "Ukrainian servicemen's disrespectful attitude."
Read alsoUkrainian OSINT expert tells of Putin's new strategy in DonbasThe primary task of the JCCC is to monitor the implementation of the Minsk peace agreements on Donbas. It consists of representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian sides, as well as the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" (self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics).
They play a significant role in monitoring the situation in the east of Ukraine and assist in resolving disputes along the contact line.
