Kidnapped priest freed by rebels in Donetsk

A wrecked truck of supporters of the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic' in Donetsk, Ukraine, 27 May 2014, following the fierce fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatist militants. Ukrainian government forces have retaken control of Donetsk airport in the embattled east of the country, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said 27 May: photo - EPA/PHOTOMIG

“The priest is now in the care of Polish diplomats,” said foreign ministry spokesman Marcin Wojcichowski, who did not want to disclose any further information on the captivity of Father Paweł Witek.

The priest, who normally works in Kazakhstan, was held captive by supporters of the self-proclaimed 'People's Republic of Donetsk' at the local security services building currently being occupied by rebels.

Father Witek, who was due to say prayers at a 'mass for peace' in the city's Constitution Square, went missing at around 12 noon on 27 May.

The priest was kidnapped in Donetsk, where fighting has raged for two days between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists, with up to 50 killed in the fighting centred around the airport.

A day after the landslide presidential election victory by Petro Poroshenko on Sunday, Ukraine stepped up military strikes against the separatists, who have been left largely undisturbed since seizing government buildings in Donetsk and other parts of the east in March.

Meanwhile, European security watchdog OSCE said on Tuesday it had lost contact with one of its teams of monitors near the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian militants are fighting Kiev government forces, Reuters reports.

In April a Polish military official was held captive along with colleagues from the OSCE observation mission in eastern Ukraine. (pg)