A team of international military observers seized by pro-Russian
separatists in eastern Ukraine was freed Saturday as Kiev resumed military action to tackle the pro-Moscow gunmen who have overrun the region.
Ukrainian troop carriers
moved into the eastern city of Kramatorsk, where some residents reported
hearing gunfire, as Ukraine's embattled new leaders launched their most
intensive effort yet to try to dislodge the rebels who have reportedly
seized government buildings in nearly a dozen cities and towns.
Saturday's release of the
monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
resolves a major diplomatic issue for the West after separatists had
abducted eight European observers in the flashpoint city of Slavyansk on
April 25 and held them hostage.
The monitors -- from
Germany, Denmark, Poland and Czech Republic -- were seized alongside
five Ukrainians from the defense ministry. One of the observers, a
Swede, was released soon after for medical reasons.
The self-declared mayor
of Slavyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, confirmed the release of the
remaining 12 members of the mission, adding Russian envoy Vladimir
Lukin, who arrived in eastern Ukraine on Friday, had helped negotiate
their release.
On the road out of
Slavyansk, an OSCE delegation waited to collect the observers, who
hugged their colleagues on arrival. Ponomarev told CNN there had been no
prisoner exchange.
"Right now we are expecting another storming of the town," he said.
The OSCE confirmed the
release. British Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the news in a
tweet, adding "all other hostages held by illegal armed groups should be
released."
Source:CNN
Source:CNN
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