The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), which controls parts of Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, has stated that it would begin pulling weapons away from the front lines only after a complete cease-fire, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reports.
The leader of the rebels controlling the DNR, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, claims that the Ukrainian side continues to violate the cease-fire. According to him, small arms were fired in Donetsk and a civilian was wounded.
At the same time, the self-styled Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), which controls parts of Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, has said that it would begin withdrawing weapons on October 3. The process will be completed in two stages: first, from October 3 to October 17; and second, from October 18 to November 10.
The LNR said it would strictly abide by all the assumed responsibilities
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told the TASS news agency that the Kremlin hasn't asked Ukraine's presidential administration for a meeting with President Petro Poroshenko.
Earlier today, Kostyantyn Yeliseyev, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential staff, said that Kyiv is considering Russia's request for a bilateral meeting between President Petro Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Paris.
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has compiled a photo gallery of images from the ongoing trial of Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko in Russia (in Ukrainian):
Суд над Надією Савченко (фотогалерея)
The Russian-backed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, has posted a photo from his inspection of the Kerch Bridge construction site.
If and when construction is completed, the bridge across the Kerch Strait would be the only route connecting mainland Russian and the annexed Ukrainian peninsula. The project's estimated cost is $7 billion. The construction may last several years.
The Guardian's Shaun Walker has written an excellent piece about what's potentially next for separatist-held territories in eastern Ukraine now that Russia has turned its attention to Syria. Here's a taster:
At a highly fortified separatist position near the village of Peski outside Donetsk, the pro-Russia fighters have been getting used to an unusual sound in recent weeks: silence.
Shelling and exchanges of fire have become so rare at this frontline position in eastern Ukraine that commander Alexei Novikov and his men even had time recently to kill, grill and eat Poroshenko, the pet pig they named after Ukraine’s president (Merkel the sheep survives, for now).
“Both sides are moving towards partisan warfare, with small diversionary missions behind enemy lines,” said Novikov. “It has become boring here.”
As Russia ratchets up military action in Syria, the fighting in east Ukraine is winding down. The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany will meet in Paris on Friday for talks on Ukraine, and while a lasting political solution still seems some way off, there is confidence on all sides that the military action could finally be over, a year after the first ill-fated, and largely ignored, ceasefire agreement was signed in Minsk, Belarus.
With all sides tired of military conflict, the most likely outcome appears to be Moscow pushing the territories back to Ukraine legally, with an ensuing period of uncertain peace as both Moscow and Kiev decide how far they are ready to compromise on their goals.
“The Russian side is trying to push the Minsk agreements as far as Ukraine is willing to go,” said Vitaly Leybin, editor in chief of Russian Reporter magazine in Moscow. He said this will probably involve a Trans-Dniester-style solution, where the regions remain de jure part of Ukraine but de facto function as independent statelets backed up by Russia. However, he said if Ukraine agreed to a full range of concessions, the Russian side would be willing to return control of the Russia-Ukraine border to Kiev.
“If Ukraine gives the regions special status, a full amnesty, recognises the rebel forces as a ‘people’s militia’ and gives the regions the right to its own cultural policy and special economic relations with Russian regions, then we would give the Ukrainians back control of the border.”
These conditions will not be acceptable to Kiev, but there too officials have noticed a change of tone from the Russians.
“They are trying to push the territories back into Ukraine, and shift the focus from military aggression to political destabilisation inside Ukraine,” said Dmytro Kuleba of the Ukrainian foreign ministry. “If our goal is reintegration and reconciliation we will have to look at all options,” he said, when asked whether Ukraine was ready for a real political settlement that included rebel leaders.
Russia has propped up the separatist statelets financially and militarily, and many of the commanders have been trained at bases in Russia, as the forces gradually become more professional. Despite repeated denials, it is also clear that Russian regular forces were introduced at key intervals when the rebels faced defeat last year, and again in February this year to back up a rebel offensive. Moscow has made it clear to Kiev that this option is always on the table should the Ukrainians attempt to win the territories back militarily.
Read the entire article here.