Donetsk, Jun 27 - DAN. The Heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, have agreed, as an act of goodwill, to release four detainees held in the Republics in connection with the Donbass conflict.
Earlier on Thursday, the Donbass Republics leaders met with head of the Political Council of Ukraine’s Party “Opposition Platform - For Life” Viktor Medvedchuk, Russia’s Tass news agency reported.
“We hope that the release of four persons will be a stimulus to Ukraine to launch the “all verified for all verified” exchange. It is expedient,” Pushilin said as he responded to Medvechuk’s request to free the detainees.
The LPR Head said that the handover procedure would take place in Minsk on Friday. “They will be handed over to Medvedchuk,” Pasechnik underlined.
Medvedchuk said that “of the four detainees, three are servicemen.” Ukraine continues to examine the lists for prisoner exchange with the LPR and the DPR, he noted while acknowledging that Ukrainian authorities would continue criminal prosecution against him for his accords with Donbass. “This won’t stop us,” Medvedchuk said.
In his opinoin, incumbent Ukrainian authorities' position is not aimed at a peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbass and release of all persons held by the parties to the conflict. “Kiev position is not aimed at the exchange of all verified for all verified. (Ukrainian President Vladimir) Zelensky is not focused on a peaceful settlement of the situation in Donbass. The authorities are not helping their citizens detained there,” Medvedchuk said.
The previous Donbass prisoner exchange took place in late 2017.*jk