DONETSK. July 2 (Interfax) - Ukrainian servicemen have not occupied positions abandoned by the militia in Shyrokyne, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) has said.
"We are maintaining the Shyrokyne demilitarization regime declared in a unilateral manner. The DPR will be ready to strike back in the event that Ukraine starts hostilities. There are still units in Shyrokyne but they are holding different positions, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the National Guard have not come there," senior official of the DPR Defense Ministry Eduard Basurin told reporters on Thursday.
He said that Ukrainian servicemen continued to move their weapons. "Ukrainian servicemen have moved eight Grad systems to Kostiantynivka. Firing positions of four self-propelled artillery guns were observed in Krasnohorivka. Grad positions have been seen in Mykhailivka. There are four Grad systems and ten self-propelled artillery guns in Paraskoviyivka, and up to 60 tanks, Grad rocket launchers and self-propelled artillery guns have been brought to Elyzavetivka," Basurin said.
There are no casualties amongst the militia or the civilian population, he said.
As reported earlier, the militia withdrew all of its forces from the town of Shyrokyne in the Donetsk region on Thursday.