U.S. Embassy welcomes detainee exchange

The United States welcomes the return of captives from Russia-controlled Donbas as part of the detainee exchange, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv has reported on Twitter.

"We welcome today's return of liberated captives from Russia-controlled Donbas, as agreed at the December 9 Normandy Summit. Recognizing that Russia's ongoing aggression confronts Ukraine's leadership with difficult choices, we stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian partners and the many Ukrainians who remain in captivity in Russia and Crimea," the tweet reads.

On December 23, during a videoconference of the Trilateral Contact Group, an agreement was reached on the mutual release of detained persons by the end of the year, as stipulated by the conclusions of the Normandy Four summit in Paris on December 9.

op