OSCE military observers released from hostages in Slovyansk arrive to Kyiv

posted 03 May 2014 20:12

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk has met at the airport the OSCE military inspectors who were freed from hostages in Slovyansk.

Among them were four citizens of Germany, citizens of the Czech Republic, Poland and Denmark. In addition five citizens of Ukraine were freed: Ihor Turanskyi, Olexandr Matviyenko, Valerii Udod, Olexiy Pliushchev and Andrii Kolodka.

At the airport they were met by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Deshchytsia, Deputy Defense Minister Ihor Kabanenko, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine Christof Wile, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine Ivan Pochukh, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to Ukraine Merete Juhl, Charges d’Affairs of Poland to Ukraine Dariusz Gorczynsky.   

Arseniy Yatsenyuk expressed compassion to the families of those who died in the events in Ukraine: “It must become the signal for everyone. Reconciliation and peace are the only ways to save Ukraine and make it a prosperous European country”.

He informed that he had talked to the Ukrainian military officers who had stayed hostages: “They have withstood bravely with our western colleagues. Any attempts to “make them talk” failed and all of them were holding united. If we are united, we are strong”.  

“Our courageous military men have withstood and survived,” the Head of Government added.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk emphasized combatants of the Alfa special subdivision still remained hostages. He informed at a recent meeting with representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine he had addressed the SSU leaders with a request “to immediately return them to Kyiv alive and unharmed”.

The Head of Government thanked everyone who had participated in the operation of releasing the OSCE military observers.