KYIV. March 12 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Ukrainian woman Ankhar Kochneva, held in Syrian rebels' captivity, is at liberty.
"Kochneva got in touch with our embassy. She is free and we plan to visit the Ukrainian Embassy in Damascus," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's acting spokesman Yevhen Perebyinis told Interfax.
He did not say how the Ukrainian woman had been freed, or whether she had escaped.
Reports said earlier that Kochneva was abducted by rebels of the Free Syrian Army in October 2012. The abductors demanded a $60-million ransom, but they told the woman's relatives in early 2013 that they had reduced it to $300,000.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told the media on January 31, 2013, that he had asked the European Union to help free journalist Kochneva. The EU pledged its assistance.
The woman's relatives claimed, citing the rebels, that Ukraine was not holding talks on Kochneva's release. They also said that the abductors wanted to discuss the terms of her release with Ukraine, but their proposals were ignored. Moreover, the abductors changed the financial claims and said they were ready to discuss any of Ukraine's terms.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has denied reports that no talks are being held on the Ukrainian woman's release. It said it did not want to disclose details of the talks in order not to harm Kochneva.