Russian troops within Ukraine no, it employs a group of 70 officers of the General staff of the Russian Federation, which from September 2014 mediates between the Ukrainian military and self-defence forces of the DND and LNR, said the Deputy defense Minister Anatoly Antonov in an interview to the newspaper.

"by agreement between the General staff military power of Russia and Ukraine from September 2014 in the South-East of Ukraine work our officers and 70 people," said Antonov.

He added that officers are included in the representative office of the Ministry of defense of Russia in the General center of observation and coordination of ceasefire and stabilization of the line of contact between the parties.

According to Antonov, except the Russian soldiers in the Joint center has Authorized military strength of Ukraine, as well as the unrecognized Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, Russian officers are there at the request of the Ukrainian side, speaking as mediators in the negotiations.

The Ukrainian authorities, as well as the US and EU before many times has accused Moscow of meddling in Ukraine's Affairs. Russia has stated many times that is not a party to domestic conflict and absolutely harmless to the events in the South-East of Ukraine: no agents of special services, troops there.


dialogues " channel four ", held on 12 February came amid a sharp escalation of the situation in the Donbass, provoked by the Ukrainian security forces, which increased the forces began to storm the position of the militia. Following the meeting, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany adopted a set of measures involving, for example, the ceasefire in the Donbas with fifteen February, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the development of the security zone.

Soon after informing truce in the Donbass resumed shooting, the parties blame each other in violation of the "silence" and report that conduct only return fire.

One of the most important points signed in February of the Minsk agreements was the constitutional reform, and the enactment of a permanent law on the special status of separate districts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The agreement notes that decentralization should take place in coordination specifically, the commissioners of these districts, however, the Kiev authorities are ignoring this provision, arguing about the fact that you are unwilling to have a dialogue with the authorized rebellious territories. Read the full text of the Minsk agreements "

sections: Politics