The Lugansk People’s Republic has brought home three servicemen in the latest prisoner exchange with Ukraine, LPR ombudsperson Viktoria Serdyukova told the Lugansk Media Center.
“Overall, 40 Russian servicemen including three our fellow countrymen returned from Kiev controlled territory as a result of the April 26 prisoner swap,” Serdyukova said.
She thanked everybody “involved in these difficult but very important negotiations which help the servicemen return home and reunite with their families.
“After initial medical examination by medics and psychologists, we’ll take our defenders to the Republic,” the ombudsperson said.
On February 4, 63 Russian servicemen including 12 Donbass defenders returned from Kiev-controlled territory. On February 16, Ukraine handed over to Russia 101 servicemen including 44 Donbass fighters. In the March 7 prisoner swap, 34 Donbass defenders returned home. On April 10, Donbass got back seven servicemen who had been held by Ukraine for a year.
LPR Acting Head Leonid Pasechnik said that the Republic had brought home 65 fighters in the prisoner exchange with Ukraine during the New Year holidays.
As of December 12, 2022, 150 LPR militiamen had returned from Ukrainian captivity since the beginning of the special military operation. Just before the New Year, the Republic got back another 41 servicemen including 37 LPR militiamen. The LPR ombudsperson said that more than 100 POWs had been physically abused.
The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014. The peace talks failed to reach tangible results due to Kiev’s position to settle the conflict by force.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation on February 24, 2022 to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression. Prior to that, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance.
The Lugansk People’s Republic acceded to Russia on September 30, 2022 following the unification referendum.*i*v
