OSCE mission verifies first stage of LPR arms withdrawal, says Russia's Interfax:
LUHANSK. Oct 17 (Interfax) - The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (OSCE SMM) has finalized verification of armaments with calibers under 100mm and hardware withdrawn by the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) under the Minsk agreements.
"The OSCE mission has finalized the process of verification of mortars with calibers up to 120mm withdrawn by the militia. So, the first stage of withdrawal of our armaments has come to an end," the Luhansk information center quoted LPR militia corps first deputy commander Sergei Kozlov as saying on Saturday.
This ends our live blogging for October 17. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our continuing coverage.
Czech and Ukrainian activists demonstrated outside an arena in Prague on October 17 during a performance by the Aleksandrov Ensemble, the official choir of the Russian armed forces. Protesters held signs calling the chorus "the music of war and occupation." Inside the concert hall, a small group of protesters holding Ukrainian, NATO, and EU flags tried to disrupt the show during a guest appearance by Czech pop star Helena Vondrackova, but were quickly escorted out. (RFE/RL)
