DONETSK, September 17 (RIA Novosti) – The next prisoner exchange between Kiev government forces and Ukraine's independence fighters is planned for Thursday, September 18, head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Committee on Prisoners Exchange Daria Morozova told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
"Most likely, [the prisoner swap will take place] tomorrow," Morozova said, adding that the exact number of prisoners to be exchanged is being verified.
An earlier prisoner exchange between Ukrainian security forces and DPR militia took place on Sunday, about 30 kilometers to the north of Donetsk. Each sided handed over 73 prisoners.
On Friday, September 12, DPR self-defense forces handed over 36 Ukrainian servicemen who were held on the republic's territory during Kiev's military operation in eastern Ukraine. In its turn, the Ukrainian government freed 31 captives.
The swaps follow the groundbreaking ceasefire agreement in Belarus's capital Minsk which stipulates, among other things, an "all-for-all" prisoner exchange between Kiev forces and independence fighters.
The agreement was signed on September 5 during the meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine attended by officials from Kiev, Ukraine's southeastern regions, Russia and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Negotiators were building on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's peace plan for resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine, as well as on Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposals.
