Kiev, Sep 12 (IANS/EFE): A total of 57 Ukrainian soldiers, who had been captured by the pro-Russian separatist militia in eastern Ukraine, have been freed, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Friday.

"The negotiations resulted in the release of 21 Ukrainian prisoners yesterday and 36 more today," Poroshenko posted on his Twitter account.

Andrei Purguin, deputy prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), had announced earlier that it was agreed that 36 government troops would be freed in exchange for 31 militiamen.

Prisoner exchanges are one of the 12 points of the agreement that was reached in the Belarusian capital of Minsk by the Contact Group for the Ukrainian crisis (Ukraine, Russia and OSCE, with participation of representatives of the pro-Russian militias) Sep 5, when the ceasefire between both parties was agreed upon.

Poroshenko announced Wednesday that about 700 Ukrainian troops had been released and the freeing of 500 others is expected in the coming days.

According to the Ukrainian government, its forces have captured around 300 separatists.