BERLIN
Germany and France will send drones to Ukraine as part of an international mission to ensure a cease-fire agreed between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists, a German government official has confirmed.
Martin Schaefer, spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, said Monday that German and French foreign ministers had agreed last week to dispatch unmanned aerial vehicles.
The agreement between Frank Walter Steinmeier and Laurent Fabius will support the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in monitoring Ukrainian-Russian border.
No details have been disclosed about the number of the drones nor operating staff to be dispatched to the conflict-hit region.
Germany sent a team of drone experts to Ukraine along with French experts in mid-September to survey the eastern part of the country.
Kiev and separatists agreed on a September 5 cease-fire during talks in Minsk which called for the release of hostages, withdrawal of heavy arms and humanitarian aid to be granted access to the area.
Unrest in eastern Ukraine has torn the region apart since April, when Kiev launched military operations in the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk to restore government control.
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