New troop pullback spots in E. Ukraine have been identified: minister

KIEV -- Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk said that the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) has decided on the new spots for the troop pullback in the East of Ukraine, Interfax Ukraine news agency reported on Thursday.

"We are talking about a complete ceasefire starting from Jan 1. Thus, we are now working on making it happen ... we have identified the new spots. They have an absolutely clear humanitarian mission - that is, these are the spots where people can cross the contact line. They're currently being discussed in the Trilateral Contact Group," Zagorodniuk said during a briefing at the Defense Ministry on Thursday.

According to the official, while the name of the new spots can not be named yet, they are already known. The minister explained that there are no security risks in connection with the troops leaving these spots.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that only three spots for troop pullback would be discussed under the framework of the TCG in Minsk. The troops will have to leave their positions by the end of March next year, as agreed during the Normandy Four Summit held in Paris on Dec 9.