Mine clearance efforts on the bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska cannot be started due to the lack of security guarantees to mine disposal experts by representatives of the self-proclaimed republics, the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of the ceasefire and stabilization on the Donbas contact line between the opposing sides said.

"The main reason for the repairing works on the bridge not to start is the lack of security guarantees for our mine disposal specialists from illegal armed groups. The relevant requests have been sent via the OSCE, but there is no reply envisaging guarantees exactly for our specialists and their access to carrying out these works," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters quoted Ukraine's head of the JCCC Col. Oleksandr Borschevsky on its Facebook page on Sunday morning.

Above all, it is needed to begin mine clearance efforts, Borschevsky said. "Fireworks should take place not only in the territory around the checkpoint, but also in the area near the destroyed bridge in order to start its repair," he said.

As reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Stanytsia Luhanska during his working trip to Luhansk region on July 7 and said that Ukraine wants to restore the destroyed bridge, via which people are crossing the disengagement line and which is planned to be restored if the truce is observed.

On July 31, at a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on the settlement of the Donbas crisis in Minsk the sides agreed on the start of mine clearance efforts in the territory around the bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska on August 1.

On August 1, 2019, the Stanytsia Luhanska district administration reported about the start of demining process by Ukrainian demining groups on the territory adjacent to the destroyed bridge near the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint.

On August 2, 2019, demining groups found 31 mines.