The prisoners from the East of Ukraine who were released yesterday returned back home. The 73 men were met at the Borispol Airport from Kiev with flowers and tears of happiness by their relatives and friends.

The former prisoners say they can't believe they were released. They say their relatives couldn't wait forward for this day to come:

"We had a radio there and we found out there will be a change of prisoners. We knew we are the first to be released and we waited for the the release order."

"I wanted, if I was killed, to send my body to my mother to bury it. They promised me they will do it. They obliged us to take off our clothes and had bitten us. We spent the whole night in a basement, after what they took us to Donetk."

"We were living in rooms of three meters width and five meters length. They took us outside once. Also, they allowed us to watch the TV just once."

The prisoners were met by Petro Porosenko, the President of Ukraine. He hug everybody and then they sang the hymn of the country.

 "I want for the soldiers who are still imprisoned to know we will make the all possible to release them", declared Petro Porosenko.

The change of prisoners between the Kiev authorities and the rebels from the East of Ukraine took place at Maiorks customs. The Ukraine authorities released 306 prisoners and 74 separatists. The negotiations between Kiev and the separatist authorities begun at the beginning of November and the Russian patriarch, Kiril participated as intermediaries. The last prisoners release between the parts took place in 2015.