Another two hostages were released from the captivity of Russian-backed separatists on Dec. 27.
Anzhelika Presnyakova and Olha Svorak were released to a representative of the division of the officers corps that works to free prisoners.
The handover took place close to Donetsk, occupied by pro-Kremlin forces. The release followed a December meeting between former pilot and Ukrainian lawmaker Nadiya Savchenko and separatists in Minsk to discuss the hostage situation.
Russian-backed separatists had held the two female prisoners for months, claiming that they were spies.
Officers Corps Chief Volodymyr Ruban told Hromadske online media that the women were satisfied with their state of health.
“They weren’t tortured or raped, but it is clear that this was not a resort,” he said.
Presnyakova, an appellate judge in Donetsk Oblast, was captured in May.
Svorak, a journalist with local Ivano-Frankivsk news outlet Golos-info, was caught in 2015. She was alleged to be a spy with the Security Service of Ukraine. According to Yuriy Tandit, advisor to the head of the SUB, Svorak was helping people on the front line.
As of August, 107 hostages were staying in pro-Russian separatist captivity, First Deputy Speaker Iryna Gerashchenko said on her Facebook page.
Meanwhile, two Ukrainian servicemen were taken prisoner by separatists on Dec. 26. They were reportedly heading from the hospital and lost their way, winding up in an area controlled by pro-Russian forces.
