Front-Line Troops Begin Pullout In The Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian troops (pictured) are confronting heavily-armed rebels in the east

BBC: Ukraine conflict: Front-line troops begin pullout

Ukrainian government troops and Russian-backed separatists have begun withdrawing from a key front-line area in eastern Ukraine.

"The separation of forces in Zolote is happening right now," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said.

A separatist official quoted by Russia's RIA news agency said both sides had fired coloured signalling rockets to mark both sides' withdrawal.

A deal was agreed this month to end the Donbas region's five-year conflict.

Under the deal, both sides were to start withdrawing from their positions in the towns of Zolote and Petrivske on 9 October.

But there were skirmishes between Ukrainian police and war veterans, who tried to prevent the troop pullout.

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WNU Editor: There has been a number of delays in this pullout, but the trend is for a peaceful resolution. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's election has changed the dynamics in Ukraine, and his commitment to give autonomy and other reforms to the Ukrainian-Russian dominated majority in eastern Ukraine has given hope in that part of the country that this war will end. My only concern is with Ukraine's nationalists. Many want to continue the war, and many are not in favour of Zelensky's commitment to eliminate the laws that discriminate against Ukraine's Russian minority. Fortunately, these nationalists are out of power, and they have very little support in the country to maintain this terrible status quo.