Halyna Hayeva spent 15 months in captivity in the self-proclaimed "Donetsk people’s republic"[DPR] before being released as part of the December 27 exchange of prisoners. Unlike other civilian hostages sentenced to 14 or 17 years for a pro-Ukrainian flashmob or critical blog entries, Hayeva really had passed information to Ukraine’s Security Service, according to the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group.
A flash mob demonstration in support of Ukrainian political prisoners held in captivity in Russia was staged outside the Russian Embassy in Ukraine on Sunday, Dec 31, according to 112 Ukraine TV Channel.
Member of the Minsk Trilateral Contact Group's humanitarian subgroup and First Deputy Parliament Speaker Iryna Gerashchenko has called on foreign diplomats to use all advantages as intermediaries to facilitate the release of Ukrainian citizens who are held in captivity in Russian-occupied Donbas.