Ukraine ‘starts heavy weapons withdrawal’

Ukraine’s army is starting the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line in the east as part of a truce, the defence ministry says.

It says the pullout of 100mm calibre artillery “is the first step” and will be monitored by foreign observers.

Pro-Russian rebels earlier said they had started withdrawing their weapons. This has not been verified by monitors.

The ceasefire came into effect on 15 February but the rebels seized the key town of Debaltsevo just days later.

Fighting began in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions last April, a month after Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula.

Almost 5,800 people have died since then, the UN has estimated, although it believes the real figure could be considerably higher.

The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the rebels with heavy weapons and soldiers.

Independent experts echo that accusation while Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are “volunteers”.

In other developments on Thursday:

Russia warned it might have to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine by the end of the week if it did not receive further payments from Kiev. Ukraine said fewer than half of its prepaid shipments had been piped from Russia.

The EU urged Russia “to urgently release” Ukrainian military pilot Nadiya Savchenko on humanitarian grounds. Ms Savchenko – who is accused of involvement in the deaths of two Russian journalists – has spent 75 days on hunger strike in detention in Moscow.