Russia's Kozak Helped Prevent Escalation Along Contact Line in Donbas - Source

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th September, 2020) It was Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak's involvement that opened door to the agreement to jointly investigate Kiev's violations of the Donbas ceasefire, his mediation prevented a new escalation in the breakaway region, a source in the Russian delegation told Sputnik on Thursday.

The source was commenting on Wednesday's meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group, which focused on Kiev's violation of the additional measures, coordinated in July. It was agreed at the talks that Ukrainian and Donbas representatives would launch a joint probe into the violations later on Thursday.

"Further escalation along the contact line near Shumy settlement was prevented largely thanks to Kozak's participation. It could have resulted in the disruption of the complete and comprehensive ceasefire," the source said.

"As a result of the talks, an agreement was reached that Ukrainian and Donbas representatives would investigate jointly, with participation of the Organization for Security and Co�operation in Europe, Ukraine's ceasefire violations, which consisted in moving Ukrainian fortifications closer to the adversary party near Shumy," the source specified.