Dates for Ukrainian forces' withdrawal near Stanytsia Luhanska postponed because of shelling by LPR militants

The Ukrainian Armed Forces had to postpone the dates for pulling back their units stationed near Stanytsia Luhanska because of the adversary's systematic violations of the Trilateral Contact Group's framework decision on the disengagement of forces and means, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

"Eight instances of shelling, the last one on October 6, have taken place at this sector in the past week," the ministry said.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine "had to postpone the dates for the withdrawal of their forces and means at the sector near Stanytsia Luhanska" because of the other side's non-implementation of the Trilateral Contact Group's framework decision on the disengagement of forces and means and because of systematic shelling of Ukrainian military positions, it said.

he number of strikes on Ukrainian army positions, including instances of artillery shelling, has increased, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

Militant forces have fired banned 122mm and 152mm artillery systems five times and mortars 19 times in the past 24 hours alone, it said.