You're reading: Donbas militiamen promise to release Ukrainian troops sent to Kramatorsk

 The Donetsk volunteer militia have confirmed that the Ukrainian troops, sent in to the region, have refused to shoot their fellow countrymen and essentially demonstrated solidarity with the Donbas protestors.

“It makes no difference whether or not they switched to our side.
What matters is that they refused to shoot people,” one of the militia
commanders, Myroslav Rudenko, said on Wednesday.

The military in question are the crews of six armored vehicles
(airborne armored vehicles), he said. “They are in Kramatorsk. They got
hungry and are being fed,” Rudenko said.

The servicemen’s future fate depends on their own decision, he said.
“Once they are fed, they can go home. Of course, they can stay, if they
wish, to fight for the Donetsk republic,” Rudenko said.

He could not say the servicemen in Kramatorsk can keep their weapons.
“I cannot say that for now. The matter is being decided,” Rudenko said.