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Donbass republics, Ukraine start prisoner swap near Gorlovka

Donetsk and Lugansk are set to hand over 55 persons to Kiev and expect to receive 87 people

© Alexander Reka/TASS

GORLOVKA, December 29. /TASS/. The first prisoner swap over the past two years has started between the self-proclaimed Donbass republics and Kiev near Gorlovka, Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) ombudswoman Darya Morozova announced on Sunday.

"The swap has started," Morozova said.

The prisoner swap is taking place at the Gorlovka-Mayorskoye point of entry/exit on the line of contact between the Donetsk People’s Republic and Ukraine.

As the ombudswoman said, the persons held in custody in the DPR as a result of the armed conflict and subject to the swap had set off for the so-called grey zone - the territory between the positions of the conflicting parties - to finalize the exchange procedure.

Donetsk and Lugansk are set to hand over 55 persons to Kiev and expect to receive 87 people, Morozova said on Saturday.

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