Insurgents in E. Ukraine claim to release two captives

Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnytsky, the leaders of independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine, on Monday claimed to release from captivity two Ukrainian women detained during the conflict.

In a joint statement published on the insurgent-run Lugansk information center, Zakharchenko and Plotnytsky said they will hand over the captives to a Ukrainian lawmaker Nadiya Savchenko.

The statement has described the release of detainees as a goodwill gesture on the eve of winter holidays, which is designed to speed up the liberation of hostages held by the Ukrainian government.

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has welcomed the move, voicing the hope that it could pave the way for breaking a deadlock in the prisoner exchange.

"We would like to see the release of detainees to continue with the liberation of these two women," Yury Tandyt, the aid to the SBU's head, told local media.

The prisoner exchange between the government and the insurgent forces has been locked in a stalemate for months as the two sides are unable to reach mutually acceptable conditions for the swap.

Earlier this month, Kiev has announced that it will release 15 detained rebel supporters as a goodwill gesture to revive the stalled prisoner exchange.

The prisoner swap is a key part of the Minsk ceasefire agreement, designed to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed some 10,000 people since April 2014. Endit