KIEV
More than 70 percent of the armed pro-Russian separatists withdrew from Ukrainian territory after the ceasefire last Friday took effect, confirmed Ukrainian President.
“This development is encouraging the peace initiatives”, Petro Poroshenko said.
Poroshenko also announced that at least 500 Ukrainians captured by pro-Russian separatist will be released by the end of the week, according to the ceasefire agreement.
The so-called Minsk truce took effect on September 5 with the deal between the Ukrainian government and rebels, mediated by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), to include a cease-fire and the release of detainees.
According to Ukrainian security sources, more than 860 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 3,125 were wounded since the beginning of the conflict in the east of the country in April, after the Kiev government launched military operations in the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk to restore government control after separatists declared independence in the region.
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