The late December prisoner exchange between Ukraine and the Russian-occupied Donbas has been widely hailed as a harbinger of reduced tensions in a conflict that has claimed over 14,000 lives and displaced nearly two million civilians. However, its true significance may lie in the identities of the prisoners demanded by the Kremlin. By insisting on the release of figures unconnected to the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russia has tacitly admitted its involvement in the coordination of terrorist acts and other forms of hybrid warfare across Ukraine.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Adrian Karatnycky: Prisoner exchange lifts the veil on Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine
Ukrainian serviceman, who was freed by Russia-backed militants during a prisoner exchange, is welcomed by relatives at the Boryspil airport outside Kyiv on Dec. 29, 2019.
