Ukraine expects a new exchange of detainees in the near future

Photo: EPA

In 2018, the priority of the trilateral contact group will be to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire under the Minsk agreements. This was reported in the Facebook press Secretary of the Ukrainian representative in the group, former President Leonid Kuchma Darka olifer at the end of the meeting, which was held today in Minsk.

According to her, the Ukrainian side will demand the withdrawal of foreign military forces from the territory of Donbass and the return of militants to the demarcation line established by the Memorandum of 19 September 2014.

From terrorists also will be required to ensure full access of the OSCE monitoring mission to all the territory of certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and ensuring the security of observers.

“The release of the hostages is the main focus of the work of humanitarian groups. This year the sides have already exchanged the lists of detained persons. Believe that the next release should take place in the shortest possible time”, – she added.

Ukraine also will lobby for the initiative of the International Committee of the red cross to establish an international mechanism of search for missing persons.

27 December 2017 in the Donbas had an exchange of detained persons. According to the Prosecutor General, Ukraine has exchanged 73 233 detained on Ukrainian hostages.

The head of the security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Hrytsak said that the militants “LDNR” continue to hold 103 Ukrainians.

The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine began in April 2014. Fighting underway between the Armed forces of Ukraine and Pro-Russian rebels who control part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.