SMM sees militants with 'JCCC' armbands near Stanytsia Luhanska and Zolote

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine has recorded the presence of members of the armed formations of the Russian Federation wearing armbands with the inscription "JCCC" in the disengagement areas near Zolote and Stanytsia Luhanska.

The OSCE SMM said this in a report issued on February 3, based on information from the monitoring teams received as of 19:30 on February 2, 2020.

"On 1 and 2 February, inside the disengagement area near Stanytsia Luhanska (government-controlled, 16km north-east of Luhansk), the SMM saw on two occasions five members of the armed formations (wearing armbands with “JCCC” written on them) between the new span of the Stanytsia Luhanska bridge (15km north-east of Luhansk) and their checkpoint south of it," the report reads.

On 1 and 2 February, on the southern edge of the disengagement area near Zolote (government-controlled, 60km west of Luhansk), the SMM saw on two occasions two members of the armed formations (wearing armbands with “JCCC” written on them).

As reported, in December 2017, officers of the Russian Armed Forces were withdrawn from the JCCC, and they left Ukraine. There was no information about their return. Since then, only the Ukrainian side of the JCCC has operated in Donbas.

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