Since the start of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in eastern Ukraine on April 30, 2018, Ukrainian soldiers have re-taken control of 15 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, JFO Commander Serhiy Nayev has said.

"In the course of stabilization actions since the beginning of the operation, we managed to ensure and maintain full control over the line of contact, a proper level of security and stability in all areas. Equipment of the supply line in the Volnovakha, Horlivka, Severodonetsk and Svitlodarsk sectors allowed us to retake about 15 square kilometers of Ukrainian land, including settlements," Nayev said at a press conference in Severodonetsk, Luhansk region, on Thursday.

He said Pivdenne (Donetsk region) and Zolote-4 (Luhansk region) settlements were returned to Ukrainian control.

"The lives of people there began returning to normal," Nayev said.

The commander said the achievements were made without violating the Minsk agreements.

He recalled that the Ukrainian military has been following the ceasefire agreement since July 1.

"Our troops are only responding to provocations by Russian occupation forces, which ignore the Minsk agreements," he said.