Defense forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic have exchanged a batch of prisoners with the Ukrainian Army in a move that was stipulated as one of the key issues of the Minsk ceasefire agreement reached between the two sides last week, reports GHN based on RT.
"The exchange has taken place," a representative of the DPR's defense ministry told Interfax earlier. "We handed 36 prisoners over to the Kiev side in exchange for 31 of our supporters. Kiev promises to hand over five more tomorrow."
In the meantime, reporters for the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper working in Ukraine have confirmed an exchange of 37 self-defence fighters for 37 Ukrainian troops, saying that the previous report was a bit premature and the actual swap did not happen until later Thursday night.
Earlier on Thursday, the deputy PM of the DPR, Andrey Purgin, told RIA that it was the Kiev side that has been stalling the planned exchange, while Col. Andrey Lysenko, the spokesman for Ukraine's National Security Council, blamed the rebels‘ "lack of consistency" for disrupting the swap.
"For the fourth day we are trying to exchange [the captives]," Purgin said, adding that he hopes the swap will finally take place on Thursday night.A special exchange group has been created which compiled a combined list of people subject to exchange, he said, adding that the list could be amended if the need arises.
Under the terms of the ceasefire signed in Minsk on September 5, both sides of the conflict have agreed to swap prisoners on an 'all-for-all' basis as a sign of good will as adversaries look for ways to create permanent peace in the region.