SIDES AGREE TO PRISONER SWAP

KIEV Ukraine and Russia have agreed a prisoner swap expected to involve a total of 277 people taken captive in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official said on Thursday.

Roman Bezsmertny said Kiev expected to exchange 208 people in jail in Ukraine for 69 Ukrainians.

Bezsmertny represents Ukraine in the working group on political issues of the Trilateral Contact Group, a body working for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. Kiev’s forces have been battling pro-russian separatists in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine since 2014.