Ukraine, eastern rebels swap prisoners in move to end war

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By EVGENIY MALOLETKA

MAIORSK CHECKPOINT, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine began exchanging scores of prisoners Sunday in a move aimed at ending their 5-year-long war.

The move was part of an agreement brokered earlier this month at a summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France.

A rebel government official and the Ukrainian president’s office confirmed that the swap at a checkpoint near the rebel-held city of Horlivka had started.

The total number of people freed was not immediately known, though authorities said earlier that 142 were expected to be involved in the exchange — 55 released by the rebels and 87 by Ukraine.



A Russia-backed separatist soldier escorts a group of separatists war prisoners after they were exchanged near the checkpoint Horlivka, eastern Ukraine, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019. Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in the east have begun exchanging prisoners in a move aimed at ending their five-year-long war. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)


Read more: https://apnews.com/ffe6fed47694c6194eddd72a97735b34

[paleotn]

1. No matter....

the "separatists" will demand independence, aligning with the Russian Federation at best, promptly annexed at worst. Then, the next group of "separatists" in some other part of Ukraine will try the same shit. It's the Kremlin rebuilding the Eastern Bloc one slice of territory at a time.

[MarcA]

2. And what will Pravy Sektor and Svoboda be doing? n/t