Major prisoner exchange on Ukraine frontline bolsters shaky truce

Ukrainian forces and rebel separatists have traded dozens of prisoners in a frontline eastern town, the first clear sign of progress for an otherwise shaky truce signed a week ago. The rare glint of optimism came on the heels of a pro-Russian rebel offensive in the east, capturing a major town from loyalists and drawing threats of new sanctions against Moscow from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The United States has warned it could level “serious sanctions” on Russia within days over breaches of Ukraine’s truce, which is in tatters despite pro-Moscow rebels and government forces exchanging scores of prisoners.

If this failure continues, make no mistake, there will be further consequences including consequences that will place added strains on Russia’s already troubled economy.

US Secretary of State John Kerry

AFP journalists in Ukraine’s eastern frontline town of Zholobok saw 139 Ukrainian soldiers traded for 52 separatist fighters late Saturday, in rare compliance of the otherwise much-violated truce which came into effect a week ago. Some of the released soldiers were wounded. A few had to walk on crutches through a landscape scarred and cratered by months of fighting. The insurgents said the prisoners included some troops seized this week when they overran the strategic town of Debaltseve, located between Lugansk and the other rebel stronghold of Donetsk.

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