Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine started its work in Minsk

at the photo: to the right - the representative of DPR's gunmen Denis Pushilin

The working groups of the Trilateral Contact Group on the situation in Ukraine met in Minsk on June 2.

The possibility of an 'all for all' exchange of captives in the south-east of Ukraine will be on the agenda of a meeting of the trilateral Contact Group's sub-groups in Minsk, said Heidi Tagliavini, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Representative. The OSCE representatives are expected to coordinate the activity of the special working sub-groups. According to Heidi Tagliavini, a political sub-group should agree on the format and the date of the elections in the temporarily occupied territory of Donbas in accordance with the Ukrainian law.

As Belsat recalls, last week President of France Francois Hollande and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel urged Russian President Putin to exert influence on militants during a telephone conversation. The both recalled that the preparation for local elections must be ‘held in compliance with the current legislation of Ukraine’.

The demilitarization of Ukraine’s former resort city of Shyrokyne near Mariupol and the removal of weapons over 100 mm caliber - mortars and tanks - from the frontline, segodnya.ua reports with reference to former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma, who represents Kyiv at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the press center of the Ukrainian army's operation in the south-east accused separatists of again opening fire on positions held by the Ukrainian army in all parts of Donbas starting from 6:00 p.m. on June 1. The militants were allegedly firing mortars and artillery weapons with a caliber of over 100mm against the localities of Pisky, Mariyinka, Opytne, Vodyane, the press center claimed on its Facebook account on Tuesday morning.

On Monday four Ukrainian soldiers and 1 civilian were killed during shelling Shyrokyne.