"Today Ukraine begins to withdraw its 100-millimeter artillery from the demarcation line," the statement reads. "This first step towards the withdrawal of heavy artillery will take place only under OSCE monitoring and verification."
The General Staff stressed, however, that the schedule for withdrawal of heavy artillery can be corrected in case of offensive activities from the other side.
Meanwhile Donetsk and Luhansk forces have been pulling back their heavy weapons for days, in line with the Minsk accords, and have voiced their concern over Kiev's failure to do the same.
Kiev forces and Donbas independence supporters have been in a state of military confrontation since April 2014. On February 12, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France worked out a peace deal that envisaged, among other steps, the pullout of heavy artillery from the line of contact.
