TEMPO.CO, Lugansk - More than 50 people held hostage by pro-Russian militants who seized government buildings in eastern Ukraine have been released.
Ukraine's security agency (SBU) stated on Tuesday that the separatists had seized its regional headquarters in Lugansk and held 60 people hostage.
As quoted on Channel News Asia yesterday, SBU had successfully freed 56 hostages after two rounds of negotiations. The agency did not specify how many people were still held inside the building. "No one was injured. In order to minimize the risks of the lives and safety of the citizens, the negotiation process is continuing," wrote the SBU statement.
The negotiations were led by several lawmakers from Ukraine’s parliament, without saying which party they represented. The SBU stated that the separatist groups in Lugansk had mined the SBU building and taken 60 hostages.
On the same day, pro-Russian militants took over the main administration offices of the eastern cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk. The Kharkiv building was retaken by Ukrainian police on Tuesday.
Donetsk is still under the control of pro-Russian separatists after proclaiming the creation of a sovereign "people's republic" and calling on Kremlin to send in its troops.
CHANNEL NEWS ASIA | ROSALINA
