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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Luhansk Republic says exchange of prisoners with Kiev due today

The exchange of prisoners with Ukraine's authorities, which has been prepared for 3 weeks already, as LPR's Defense Ministry representative says, is going to be made on the “14 for 14” basis

© EPA/ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO

LUHANSK, October 13. /TASS/. Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) is preparing for the exchange of prisoners with Ukraine’s law enforcement authorities on the “14 for 14” basis at 3pm local time (4pm Moscow time).

This exchange of prisoners of war has been prepared for three weeks, but “ambitions of politicians” would not let it happen, a representative of LPR’s Defense Ministry told TASS on Monday. “What matters to us is that we should free our men.”

The representative did not rule out the exchange may be failed last minute by the Ukrainian side, which may offer new requirements.

On Monday, the LPR’s Defense Ministry invited accredited reporters to talk to detained Ukrainian military.

Depressed 14 Ukrainian military told reporters nobody had beaten them, they were fed and nobody made them work. Medical services were offered to several wounded military. All the detained come from Ukraine’s central and western regions.

They agreed they had been fighting in the south-east against their own people, not “terrorists.” The military said they did not know what to expect on the other side, but promised not to come back to fight in the south-east. “Better tribunal or prison,” they said. The Ukrainian military blame the Kiev authorities of all the misfortunes in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

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Eastern Ukraine

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