On December 29, 2019, a large-scale prisoner exchange took place in Donetsk Oblast. This is the first exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and the L/DPR militants in two years. It took place at the Maiorske checkpoint in Donetsk Oblast. As a result of the exchange, 76 people (12 soldiers and 64 civilians) returned to the free territory of Ukraine. In total, Ukraine returned 81 people, five of whom remained in the occupied territory with their families. ORDLO received 124 detainees.
The released Ukrainians were met by relatives and military personnel. Among those who returned from captivity were, in particular, Radio Liberty journalist Stanislav Aseyev, blogger and teacher Oleh Halasiuk, participant of the battle for Donetsk airport Bohdan Pantiushenko, soldiers Ivan Deev, Oleksandr Korinkov, and Serhiy Glondar.
The exchange process was accompanied by protests against the extradition to militants of five ex-Berkut members accused of shooting on Maidan during the Revolution of Dignity.
In the video: the meeting of the prisoners at the airport, the President's briefing, a video near the Feofaniya hospital, where the Ukrainians who returned home were sent for treatment.