Ukrainian President greets prisoners of war released from separatist captivity in Donbas
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko personally met Ukrainians who were released from the captivity of pro-Russian separatists in self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. A video of the head of state greeting the freed citizens was posted on Poroshenko’s Facebook page.
Poroshenko met the former prisoners of war at the Boryspil airport where they were flown in by helicopters from the point of exchange. The President, clad in military fatigues and wearing an Armed Forces beret, came out to greet them.
“Freeing Ukrainian prisoners of war is certainly one of the main events of the year for all Ukraine. Ukraine has never forsaken and will never abandon its citizens. And this is what distinguishes us from the occupant who smuggles fighters while saying “they are not there” and without explanation silences their families who also betray them by pretending they are not fighting there,” the President said.
The exchange was a major prisoner swap in the history of the conflict in eastern Ukraine that took place on December 27 at the Mayorsk checkpoint not far from Horlivka, Donetsk oblast. The swap was carried out based on preliminary drawn lists of prisoners claimed by both sides. Ukraine transferred 233 prisoners to separatists claimed by them, while militant separatists transferred 73 captives to Ukraine.