Updated 10:40 am MSK
MOSCOW, September 7 (RIA Novosti) - The self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR, DPR) hope to complete the procedures for the exchange of all detained persons in the coming days, LPR head Igor Plotnitsky told RIA Novosti on the phone.
"Our main priority is saving the lives of civilians. We need to secure people’s lives, to create conditions for the safe return of over a million refugees to their homes, and to start the economic revival of our country. We need to restore the economy, relations with Russia, Ukraine, and Europe. We also hope to complete the procedures for the exchange of hostages and detained persons in the coming days," Plotnitsky said.
During the meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine in Minsk on Friday, the representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) agreed to a ceasefire between Kiev and independence supporters that started at 15:00 GMT the same day. The sides also agreed to the international monitoring of the truce’s implementation, the “all to all” prisoners of war exchange and humanitarian aid access to the combat zone.
The Ukrainian government has been conducting a military operation against independence supporters in eastern Ukraine Since mid-April. Independence supporters refused to acknowledge the new government that came to power after a coup in February and proclaimed independence in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in May.
Violent conflicts in the regions have so far killed 2,500 people and injured 6,000 according to United Nation (UN) estimates.
