Ukraine’s new President Petro Poroshenko has asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to assist Kiev in the release of all journalists and activists detained in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, (Itar-Tass) reported citing Poroshenko’s press office.
“Russian and Ukrainian presidents discussed an array of urgent measures that are necessary for a lasting ceasefire and its effective monitoring. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called on the Russian president to lend a hand in the release of all seized journalists and activists,” the official statement read.
The announcement came after the two leaders held a phone conversation Wednesday. It didn’t expand on whose release was of concern to the new Ukrainian president.
Earlier in the day, Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on the phone talk, saying the Russian leader had emphasized the necessity to ensure absolute security of reporters on assignment in Ukraine.
This came in the wake of a deadly mortar attack on a Ukrainian village on the outskirts of Luhansk that killed a Russian TV journalist and a video engineer.