Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists begin prisoner swap

Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine began a prisoner exchange on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian president's office and separatists.The exchange comes as part of an agreement brokered last year at a summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France.The aim is to take confidence-building steps that could lead to an end of the six-year war in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 14,000 people and aggravated tensions between Russia and the West.