Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine Heorhiy Tuka has said he expects that the next stage of the release of Ukrainian citizens illegally held in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (ORDLO) will take place in February-March 2018, most likely in February.

"I hope very much that we are talking about February-March, most likely February. This is my feeling and premonition," Tuka said on the NewsOne television channel on Saturday, January 18, when asked about the shortest terms of this process, which were reported by Darka Olifer, spokesperson for Ukraine's representative in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), second Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, after a TCG meeting in Minsk on January 18.

He linked these terms with the Russian presidential elections in March and the fact that this is advantageous to incumbent Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As reported, Ukraine's representatives in the TCG believe that the next stage of the liberation of illegally held Ukrainians should be held in the near future.

"The release of hostages is the main area in the work of the humanitarian subgroup. We believe that the next release should happen as soon as possible," Olifer wrote on her Facebook page on January 18.

Seventy-four illegally held Ukrainians were released during the exchange of captives between Ukraine and ORDLO on December 27, 2017. The other side received 233 people. This has been the largest exchange of held persons between the parties since 2015.