★ First POW exchange between DPR, Ukraine in 2020 taking place outside Gorlovka

Gorlovka, Apr 16 – DAN. The Donetsk People’s Republic and Ukraine have begun to exchange prisoners on the contact line next to the crossing point in northern Gorlovka.

Personnel of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Donetsk People’s Republic Office at the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination are at the scene. It is the first exchange of detainees between the DPR and Ukraine this year.

The parties agreed the “10 for 8” prisoner swap during Donbass peace talks.

A POW exchange between Ukraine and the Lugansk People’s Republic might take place under the “11 for 8” formula on the contact line later on Thursday, according to the Donetsk News Agency’s information.

The last prisoner exchange in Donbass took place outside Gorlovka under the 124 for 76 formula on December 29, 2019. Kiev passed 61 people to Donetsk. The prisoner swap accords were reached by the Contact Group participants. The DPR repeatedly noted that Ukraine had guaranteed to drop criminal prosecution against the detainees but had not delivered.*jk

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