INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A prisoner swap has taken place between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, in the hope of ending their
five-year-long war.The move on Sunday was part of an agreement made earlier this month at a summit between Ukraine, Russia, Germany and
France.Some 200 prisoners were swapped at a checkpoint near Horlivka in eastern Ukraine.Ukraine released 124 people, while the rebels freed
76.Both sides sent more prisoners than expected, with Ukraine having been expected to send 87, and the Ukraine 55.Among those released by
Ukraine were five former members of the now-disbanded special police force Berkut.They had been charged over the killing of protesters in
Kiev in 2014, according to Ukrainian news site Hromadske, quoting their lawyer, Igor Varfolomeyev, as saying.Twelve of those freed by the
rebels were servicemen, the Security Service of Ukraine said.Two of them had been held since 2015 after being ambushed while escorting the
wounded out of the battle of Debaltseve.US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said two of its contributors were among the released,
having been taken in 2017.The last major prisoner swap between the two sides took place in December 2017, when the rebels exchanged 73
Ukrainians for 233 of their own.More than 14,000 people have been killed in the region since 2014.The conflict began about two months after
Ukraine's pro-Russia president Viktor Yanukovych fled the country as massive protests broke out in Kiev.Russia's annexation of the Crimean
Peninsula happened shortly after.
