A Ukrainian court on Thursday ordered the release of a potential key witness in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 amid negotiations for a prisoner swap between Moscow and Kyiv.
Volodymyr Tsemakh, a Ukrainian national, was arrested in June this year and accused of terrorism for fighting with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
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He is considered to be a possible witness to the downing of MH17 — which according to the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was hit with a Russian Buk missile from separatist territory — as he reportedly oversaw a rebel air defense unit in a town close to where the plane came down. On Thursday, however, a judge in Kyiv released Tsemakh pending trial.
The ruling comes as Ukraine and Russia gear up for a prisoner exchange that, according to as yet unconfirmed reports, includes Tsemakh.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that talks with Ukraine on a prisoner swap were being finalized and that the exchange could involve a large number of people, Russian media reported.
Source: Ukraine releases key MH17 witness ahead of Russia prisoner swap
