Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has met with Andriy Hrechanov, reconnaissance unit commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' 81st air assault brigade exchanged for Russian citizen Vladimir Starkov on Monday.

Poroshenko thanked everyone who had helped release Hrechanov (codename Rahman) from captivity, the presidential press service said on Tuesday morning. "I know how difficult it was and how many people were involved in doing that," the president said.

He also said he signed a decree pardoning Russian citizen Starkov for the sake of the release of the Ukrainian serviceman.

In the early hours of July 26, Ukrainian Border Service officers stationed at the Berezove checkpoint seized a KamAZ truck carrying ammunition and two men in military uniforms coming from the territory uncontrolled by Ukraine. The detainees were identified as Russian citizen Vladimir Starkov and Ukrainian citizen Ruslan Iotko.

"Immediately after the detention, Starkov admitted to being a Russian citizen and a career officer of the Russian Armed Forces," Ukrainian Security Service head Vasyl Hrytsak said.

In turn, Yuriy Tandyt, advisor to the Ukrainian Security Service head, said that Starkov could be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners.

The Dzerzynsk district court in the Donetsk region sentenced Russian citizen Starkov to 14 years in prison and property confiscation on September 25.

Ukrainian Main Military Prosecutor Anatoliy Matios said on November 10 that the sentence handed down to Starkov had not taken effect because he had lodged an appeal.