KIEV: Moscow announced Monday it would pull its officers from a joint Russia-Ukraine centre tasked with monitoring the implementation of a brittle ceasefire as Kiev slammed the “unprecedented” move as a provocation.

The latest spike in tensions came as Kiev said that three Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in fighting in the east of the ex-Soviet country.

In September 2014, Ukraine and Russia established a “joint centre for control and coordination” tasked with monitoring compliance with the ceasefire regime.

The Russian foreign ministry said Russian members of the joint monitoring centre, which is based in government-controlled territory near the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, would leave on Tuesday.

Russia accused Ukraine of preventing its officers from carrying out their duties including speaking to the local population.—AFP