You're reading: Donetsk region’s ‘people’s governor’ Gubarev released

Viacheslav Ponomariov, "people's mayor" of Sloviansk, said three Ukrainian Security Service officers have been exchanged for self-defense activists, including the Donetsk region's "people's governor" Pavlo Gubarev.

 “Pavlo has indeed been released. We have exchanged three Ukrainian Security Service officers for three of our activists, including Pavlo,” he told Interfax-Ukraine by phone.

Ponomariov said Gubarev is now on the territory controlled by the Donetsk region’s self-defense forces.

Pavlo Gubarev, a commander of the Donetsk region’s pro-Russian forces, declared himself as the new governor of Donetsk region at a rally held by anti-Maidan activists in Donetsk on March 1. Hubarev and his supporters earlier made several demands to the local authorities, including to hold a referendum on the status of the region.

Gubarev was detained in Donetsk on March 6.

Separatists in Donetsk demanded the release of the people’s governor in March-April.

The three officers of the Alfa special service of the Ukrainian Security Service were detained by the Sloviansk pro-Russian forces in the neighboring Horlivka on April 26. They were then taken to the main headquarters of Donetsk separatists.