Ukraine says Russian envoy's role shows Kremlin in charge of separatists

After more than a week of tense negotiations, pro-Russian separatists in Sloviansk on May 3 freed an international group of seven military observers representing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), along with five other hostages.

These people were taken from Sloviansk to Donetsk by Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe and Vladimir Lukin, a special representative of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But amid of greetings and delighted comments the role of Russian envoy here remains unclear.

While Moscow hails him for being an efficient mediator, Kyiv insists that Lukin sent the order to militiamen in Sloviansk from their Russian bosses.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) released a transcript of an intercepted telephone conversation between Lukin and Igor Strelkov, head of the pro-Russian self-defense of Sloviansk. According to the SBU, Strelkov's real name is Igor Girkin, a Russian national and colonel of Russian Military Intelligence.

"I'm in Donetsk right now, in good company… You do sort of have a general idea about the task that I've been given, don't you?" Lukin said.

"Yes, I know, I've been warned… I have no objections for one simple reason. All this has been already discussed with me," Strelkov answered.

According to the conversation, Lukin said that he was traveling to Sloviansk with the secretary general of the Council of Europe to be in Donetsk for a joint operation. "I had the instructions to provide assistance to you and not the European partners," Strelkov replied to him.

Being asked during the press conference in Donetsk about his conversation with Stlrelkov, Lukin confirmed he spoke to him.

"I spoke to two or three representatives of leadership (of the separatists) and spoke solely on issues related to release of hostages," Lukin said as was quoted by Ostrov Donetsk-based news agency. "I didn't discuss any other issues."