Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has reportedly said that almost 20 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been released under the ceasefire agreement signed between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in Minsk, Belarus last week.
Ukraine's counterterrorist operation press office said that the prisoners were Ukrainian soldiers and were released on Monday in exchange for a "terrorist," reported the CNN.
Speaking in the port city of Mariupol, south of Donetsk, Poroshenko also said that 33 Ukrainian servicemen who had refused to surrender have also been able to leave the conflict zone.
According to The Wall Street Journal, 1200 Ukrainian prisoners have been released in the last four days after the signing of the ceasefire agreement.
Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council spokesman Col. Andriy Lysenko said that Ukraine had determined the whereabouts of more than 100 troops and efforts were being made to bring them home.