Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Staff Major General Bohdan Bondar has said both the settlements controlled by Russian-led forces and Ukraine may be included in the "gray zone" during the disengagement of troops in Donbas.
"So far, this is perhaps one of the options that are being considered... But we must note the enemy will also withdraw from the town of Yasynuvata, partly from the city of Donetsk, from the village of Sokilnyky – from those settlements, which are not yet controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And all these issues will have to be considered at least in the Normandy format," he told the RFE/RL Your Freedom program, according to the Ukrayinska Pravda online newspaper.
Earlier, information came from sources there was one of the options for the disengagement of troops in Donbas, according to which the villages of Shyrokyne, Pisky, Hranitne and other settlements controlled by Kyiv might become part of the "gray zone" in eastern Ukraine. In addition, the town of Svitlodarsk, and the villages of Opytne, Krymske, Pavlopil, Katerynivka, Luhanske will enter the demilitarized zone. The villages of Talakivka and Berdianske will also be partially demilitarized.
He said community representatives of the town of Zolote had been invited to the village of Stanytsia Luhanska to see how the disengagement happened there, how to ensure the passage of civilians.
"We are ready for the disengagement in the area of Zolote and the village of Petrivske, ready for the fulfillment of our obligations. At the same time, the enemy continues shelling. Even yesterday, when our officials were present near Zolote, there were several fire shots as an act of provocation, which indicated the Russian occupying forces do not want this disengagement," Bondar said.
According to him, if shelling continues, the disengagement of troops and weapons will be postponed until all conditions have been met.
