"The further work of the representative office of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the JCCC became impossible. On December 19, 2017, Russian officers - members of the Center will leave the territory of Ukraine", the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
This decision was made in connection with the new order of Russian citizens in Ukraine scheduled from January 1, 2018, including the introduction of a preliminary electronic announcement of the intention to visit the country.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that the Russian officers in the JCCC were "put into unbearable conditions," therefore, according to him, in the near future, the Russian side can stop its work here.
The press center of the ATO headquarters believes that, because of the statement about the intention of the Russian Federation to withdraw officers from the JCCC, the enemy can resort to aggressive offensive actions along the entire contact line of the area of carrying out ATO.
"The enemy plans to intensify the work of its sabotage-reconnaissance groups at military facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, objects of energy and transport infrastructure, increase the number of provocative shellings in the direction of our positions and residential areas of settlements near the line of demarcation. In addition, to accuse ATO forces in violations of the Minsk agreements, militants will more often fire their positions from large-caliber barrelled artillery, rocket systems, tanks and other weapons", - reported in the headquarters.
The Joint Center for the Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (JCCC) is a group to monitor compliance with the Minsk Protocol, which includes representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian sides, as well as the militants of the certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The Center started its work on September 26, 2014, in Soledar, Donetsk region.