KIEV (Sputnik) — Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) on Friday confirmed it had exchanged ten militiamen for an equal number of Ukrainian troops in the eastern self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR).
18 May 2015, 20:41 GMT
"Ten hostages were released in the town of Shchastya, in the Luhansk region, under the Minsk agreement. This was reported to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko by [SBU] head Vasyl Grytsak," the security agency said in a statement published Friday.
The statement named all ten persons released, including tank crews and members of the Aydar battalion, and a pro-Kiev volunteer unit that was previously accused of being involved in human rights violations by Amnesty International.
Prisoner swaps were a key provision in the 13-point roadmap that outlined steps to bring peace to Ukraine. The deal, called the Minsk agreement, was hammered out in February by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany.
