Israeli who fought with pro-Russian separatists freed from Ukrainian captivity
39-year-old Pavel Vetko from Rehovot was captured by Ukrainian soldiers and released as part of prisoner swap deal in Donetsk.
An Israeli who went to Ukraine to fight with the pro-Russian separatist rebels and was subsequently captured, was released Saturday as part of a prisoner swap deal in Donetsk, the Ukrainian Inter TV television channel reported.
Pavel Vetko, 39, was released as part of an agreement in which 38 separatist militants were freed in return for 35 Ukrainian government soldiers. Vatko is reportededly a resident of Rehovot, and is married with one child. He also has relatives living in Petah Tikva.
While previous reports covering the Ukraine crisis indicated that a number of Israeli citizens had took part in the battles between Ukrainian and rebel forces, on both sides, Sunday was the first time media outlets documented an Israeli fighter's experience and published his full name.
According to the report, Vatko had most likely served as a squad commander or a company commander of the pro-Russian separatist rebels in Ukraine's Luhansk region.
Related stories:
- Ukraine PM says country still in 'state of war'
- Ceasefire takes hold in east Ukraine
- Ukraine: Russia's 'open aggression' driving rebel advance
His life was saved by doctors from Kharkiv, a city in the north-east of the country, after he was taken captive near the city of Lysychansk, the report said.
Sharing his views on the separatists to the Ukrainian TV channel, Vatko said: "I think they changed for the worse."
He also described the separatist leaders as "groups of bandits or half-criminal groups", adding that they did not engage in combat, but rather "searched for solutions for their problems" and were mainly interested in capturing new territories.
