“DPR” militants say Ukraine’s MP Savchenko, negotiator Ruban come to occupied territories "to visit Ukrainian POWs"

The militants of the so-called "Donetsk People’s Republic" aka “DPR” say head of the Ukrainian center for liberation of prisoners Volodymyr Ruban and independent member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Nadiia Savchenko arrived at the occupied part of the Donetsk region.

Censor.NET reports citing the statement by the "DPR security ministry" published on a militants' website.

"Ruban and Savchenko came to visit Ukrainian POWs," the "DPR" militants' statement reads.

Earlier, MP Tetiana Rychkova accused Savchenko of instigating Ukrainian troopers fighting at Donetsk airport to launch riots against legitimate authorities.

See more: Ukraine's MP Savchenko waives her parliamentary immunity. PHOTO

On Jan.10, Nadiia Savchenko published lists of Ukrainian fighters captured or missing in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and Russian-backed separatists held in government-controlled territory - 524 persons in total. On Jan. 16, Savchenko published updated lists of Ukrainian POWs and captured separatists.

The SBU had opposed the Savchenko's move even before the publication of the lists and promised to talk to her on the issue.

On Dec. 7, 2016, Savchenko secretly visited Minsk to meet with "DPR/LPR" leaders Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky. The Security Service of Ukraine said this meeting was not agreed. Savchenko was summoned for questioning to the SBU, where she confirmed the fact of negotiations.

On Dec. 12, Savchenko said the meeting was held in the "trilateral Minsk format" in the presence of Russia's representatives, as well as "DPR" and "LPR" leaders Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky.

"I saw smart and sober people who are tired of war and deceived by Russia," Savchenko shared her feelings about the meeting later in Germany.

"LPR" leader Plotnitsky said Savchenko was a "voice" of the self-proclaimed republics in the Verkhovna Rada. After that, Savchenko was excluded from Batkivshchyna and the PACE delegation.

On Dec. 29, Savchenko announced her plans to again meet with Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky: "We can meet in Luhansk, Donetsk and then in Kyiv."