Separatist insurgents in eastern Ukraine have freed 648 Ukrainian soldiers under the terms of a truce signed last week that calls for both sides to release all prisoners, Ukrainian officials have said.
The pro-Russian rebels are expected to release another 500 soldiers, pending further negotiations that seek to bring an end to the some five months of fighting that have killed at least 2,500 people, the BBC reports.
The prisoner release appears to be the sole encouraging note in a cease-fire that has otherwise disappointed both sides.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Reuters on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces appeared to be building …read more
Source: Time
