VIDEO: “Come back only as guests”
16 Ukrainian soldiers have been released from captivity in occupied east Ukraine. The troops were released by Russian-backed militants late on Monday in the town of Marinka, near to Donetsk.
A spokesperson for the militants said they were the last of the Ukrainian soldiers being held. Ukraine’s SBU secret service dismissed the claim, stating that as many as 400 Ukrainians remain in captivity.
The militants also say more than 1,300 of their fighters are in Ukrainian custody. Ukraine’s chief negotiator at the Minsk peace talks, Leonid Kuchma, said this week that no more captured Russian-backed militants would be released for now due to a lack of resources. (Ukraine Today)
SUPPORT OFFGUARDIAN
If you enjoy OffG's content, please help us make our monthly fund-raising goal and keep the site alive.
For other ways to donate, including direct-transfer bank details click HERE.
Due to a lack of resources?! What on Earth can Kuchma mean — Ukraine just got some 15 billion dollars from the IMF. It ought to have the spare change it’ll take to release the remaining Donbass fighters, and thus fulfill one of its obligations under Minsk 2.