Donetsk, Mar 9 — DAN. Thirty-nine Donetsk People’s Republic servicemen were released from Ukrainian captivity in the March 7 POW exchange, DPR ombudsperson Darya Morozova said on Thursday.

“It’s the largest group of exchanged DPR servicemen in the recent time, ” Morozova said in a post on Telegram. “I sincerely thank everybody who contributed to their release: it’s the best present their mothers or wives could ever expect for the holiday.”

Overall, 39 DPR fighters were released in the POW exchange on March 7, she added. Most of them are recently mobilized servicemen, but several have been kept in Ukrainian prisons for nearly a year.

Earlier reports said that 90 Russian servicemen had been released from captivity following talks between Moscow and Kiev.*jk