Paul Antonopoulos
Fort RussMon, 25 Dec 2017 17:18 UTC
The Donetsk People's Republics leader Alexander Zakharchenko said on Monday that a prisoner swap has been agreed by Ukraine and the DPR and Lugansk People's Republics (LPR) to occur December 27.
"Today a crucial event has taken place, the last conditions have been agreed and
on December 27 the exchange by the 306 to 74 formula will be held," Zakharchenko said.
The LPR leader also said the republic was "ready to exchange prisoners on the conditions and in line with the agreements reached at today's meeting."
"We confirm our readiness to hold peace talks and resolve the conflict in Donbass by peaceful means," Pasechnik said.
"Today at the Svyato-Danilov Monastery the process has been completed on agreeing on all details concerning the exchange of prisoners between the Donetsk and Lugansk People's republics and Ukraine," the Patriarch confirmed.
Comment: RFE/RL adds a couple more details:
"The exchange will happen without any hindrance from the DPR or LPR [separatist-controlled areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions]," he said, adding that the prisoner swap was in its "first stage."
If the exchange is carried out, it will the first one in 14 months.
...
At a meeting in Minsk on December 20, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the separatists, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that they had agreed on a holiday cease-fire starting at midnight on December 23.
The cease-fire was agreed "in connection with the forthcoming Christmas and New Year festivities" and existing agreements and obligations, said an OSCE statement.
However, on December 25, both sides in the conflict made claims accusing each other of violating the cease-fire agreement.
Comment: RFE/RL adds a couple more details: