Ukraine: Any violation of Minsk by '70,000 Ukrainian troops' will be punished - Zakharchenko

Aleksandr Zakharchenko, the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR/DNR), gave a stern warning for what he estimated as some 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers positioned on the demarcation lines in Donetsk, during a press conference, Saturday. He added that any violation of ceasefire by Kiev would be strictly punished, adding that "the punishment is death." Stating that Minsk agreements had hit an impasse, Zakharchenko called out for world leaders to push the ceasefire deal and its provisions as the only peaceful way out of the Ukrainian conflict. However, the DPR leader highlighted that the number of Ukrainian troops were mounting on the lines of the demarcation zone, adding that "any bullet fired towards our land, our houses, our children should be duly punished." Zakharchenko finalised by posing the question to journalists; if Kiev are prepared to negotiate, why are the number of Ukrainian troops growing so quickly on the edge of the Donetsk region. The statement from the head of the DPR comes as both Donetsk and Lugansk announce that they are prepared to pull back smaller weapons from the frontline, including armoured vehicles and artillery under 100mm calibre. The weapons will be rolled back to three kilometres (1.86m) from the front line, with representatives saying the move is designed to show commitment to Minsk agreements.