MAYORSK, Donetsk region. Dec 29 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian side has unilaterally handed 15 captives over to the authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
The handover is taking place between the cities of Horlivka and Mayorsk in a neutral zone, an Interfax correspondent reported from the scene.
"They are giving us 15 people; the Ukrainian authorities have provided this list. Ms. Herashchenko [Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup] has sent it to us. I would not say that the process [of exchange of captives] has moved forward, but they would not hand these 15 people over here until the republic's heads handed two women over to Ukraine the day before," the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) ombudsman Olga Kobtseva told reporters.
She said that there are those who were held captive since 2014 among the people handed over by the Ukrainian side.
The DPR ombudsman Darya Morozova said earlier on Thursday that the DPR has voluntarily handed 80 people over to Ukraine during the entire period of the conflict.