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White House confirms release of American as part of prisoner swap between Russia, Ukraine

"For privacy reasons, I really can't go into any more detail about this individual," John Kirby said

WASHINGTON, December 14. /TASS/. A US national that fought on the side of Kiev has been released as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, National Security Council coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Wednesday.

He made the statement when asked at a regular news conference to confirm a US Air Force veteran had been released in the swap.

"I confirm that a US national has been transferred as part of the transfer of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine today. We certainly welcome that news. But for privacy reasons, I really can't go into any more detail about this individual," Kirby said.

Daria Morozova, the human rights commissioner in the Donetsk People’s Republic, told TASS on Tuesday that 104 servicemen of the Donetsk People’s Republic had returned home from Ukrainian captivity. A total of 135 DPR fighters had been freed from Ukrainian captivity, she said. The other 31 servicemen are undergoing medical treatment in other Russian regions, she said.

The Washington Post reported earlier, citing a Ukrainian official, that Suedi Murekezi, an American who had fought on the side of Kiev, was freed in a prisoner swap. Born in Rwanda, Murekezi has lived in Ukraine since 2018, according to the report.

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