The Ukrainian side, at a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on the settlement of the situation in Donbas, has expressed outrage at Russia's unilateral decision to withdraw its representatives from the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC), stressing that this is a violation of Moscow's obligations.

"We consider this step as a violation of the obligations of the Russian Federation, which it assumed as part of the Normandy format and the Minsk process. This decision significantly increases the risks of conflict escalation and poses a threat to the security of the OSCE SMM on the territory of ORDLO. As a party to the conflict, Russia is fully responsible for the further development of the situation and ensuring the security of OSCE SMM observers on the territory of Donbas not controlled by Ukraine," Darka Olifer, spokesperson for Ukraine's representative in the TCG, second Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, wrote on her Facebook page on Wednesday.