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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Ukraine, pro-Russians agree on major prisoner exchange for Dec. 27 |
| 2017-12-26 |
| [PRESSTV] Representatives of the Ukrainian government and pro-Russia forces have agreed on a major prisoner exchange following a long-standing conflict in Ukraine’s volatile east. Representatives from the two sides made the announcement in a joint televised statement on Monday, saying they would exchange prisoners on December 27. Kiev representative Viktor Medvedchuk said Ukraine was ready to release 306 prisoners and was hoping for pro-Russian forces to release 74 soldiers on Wednesday. Iryna Herashchenko, first deputy speaker of parliament in Ukraine, confirmed the report and wrote on her Facebook page that "seventy-four Ukrainians will be released on December 27. We will exchange them for 306 people." Donetsk News Agency also quoted regional pro-Russia leader Alexander Zakharchenko as saying, "We have agreed upon all the conditions, and on December 27, the exchange will be carried out under the 306-for-74 formula." The parties agreed last week to carry out the exchange of the detained persons before the New Year and Christmas holidays. The deal was mediated by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. The government in Kiev had earlier claimed that pro-Russia forces were holding at least 162 Ukrainian servicemen and civilians in captivity, while the other side had estimated that the government was holding 309 of their supporters. |
| Posted by:Fred |