Donetsk, Feb 12 – DAN. DPR has managed to liberate almost 900 prisoners of war from Ukrainian captivity during the conflict in Donbass, said DPR Ombudswoman Daria Morozova.

“Since August 2014, we have carried out 36 POW swaps, as a result, 771 people were handed over to Ukraine, and 879 people returned to Donbass,” she said.

The most effective year in terms of exchanges was 2017, when the total of 160 detainees were exchanged. The most recent exchange took place in April 2020, DPR exchanged nine Ukrainian detainees for 10 Republic’s supporters.

February 12 is the sixth anniversary of the signing of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements, which are the internationally recognized basis of the conflict settlement.

The peaceful settlement of the Donbas crises is based on the Minsk Agreements dated 5 September 2014 and, followed by the 19 September 2014 Memorandum on the ceasefire implementation. On 12 February 2015 the negotiators signed the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements; it sets forth immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in effect from 15 February 2015; withdrawal of heavy weapons, establishment of a security zone; discussion of modalities of resuming social payments in Donbass; a constitutional reform in Ukraine aimed at a profound decentralization of the state’s system of government. *ot