Russia and Ukraine swapped prisoners yesterday for the second time in less than a month as relations between the sworn foes showed rare signs of calming in the midst of war.
The exchange involved two men that Kiev views as political prisoners and a pair of pro-Russian Ukrainians who were jailed for allegedly promoting the former Soviet republic’s eastern separatists’ cause.
Their release came 19 days after Ukraine’s celebrated combat pilot Nadiya Savchenko was traded for two alleged Russian soldiers convicted of fighting alongside pro-Moscow insurgents during the 26-month war in Ukraine’s devastated rustbelt.
The Kremlin did not explain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to pardon Yuriy Soloshenko and Gennady Afanasyev.
Both were sent to hospital on their arrival in Kiev for treatment for chronic ailments that required immediate care.
The Kremlin also said separately that Kiev in turn had released two Ukrainian reporters - Yelena Glishchinskaya and Vitaly Didenko - who were convicted of promoting the pro-Moscow rebels’ cause and state media reported they had flown to Russia.
RIA Novosti news agency said Glishchinskaya touched down in Moscow with her child.
The Kremlin press office told Russian news agencies that their release was “made possible thanks to the active involvement of Viktor Medvedchuk” - a Ukrainian who has developed a personal friendship with Putin.
The release of Soloshenko and Afanasyev was greeted with joy in Kiev and the pair met Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
“My dear boys - welcome home,” Poroshenko told the two men after their arrival in hospital.
“We did it!” he added with a broad grin.