“I sincerely welcome the mutual release and exchange of detainees held today in accordance with the general decision of the contact group adopted on December 23, 2019 with the participation of representatives of certain regions of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine,” TASS quoted him as saying.
Saydik called on the parties to the conflict to continue efforts to resolve the situation and implement the Minsk agreements.
Earlier, Russia's envoy in the contact group, Boris Gryzlov, said that Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Lugansk and Donetsk people's republics had pledged to stop the criminal prosecution of released persons.
The exchange of prisoners took place in the Donbass on December 29. According to the Ukrainian side, the DPR and LPR transferred 76 people to Kiev.
The exchange in the Donbass was also welcomed by the United States, Germany and France.