"The exchange of [prisoners] lists between our and Ukrainian parties has now begun. The location of the captives is being specified. We plan to resolve all technical issues promptly. Prisoner exchange could take place in mid-January," Denis Pushilin was quoted as saying by the Donetsk news agency.
Earlier on Sunday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed the heads of the country’s law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts to release the Ukrainian soldiers who remain detained in the country's southeastern regions.
The last prisoner swap between Kiev and Donbas militia took place on December 26. On that day, DPR handed over 145 prisoners, while Kiev returned 222.
Kiev and the militias in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk agreed to a ceasefire and an "all-for-all" exchange of prisoners at the Minsk talks in September, which were brokered by the OSCE and Russia.
Since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, the sides have repeatedly accused each other of breaking the truce, continuing, however, to carry out prisoner swaps.
