KYIV, UKRAINE—During the nearly two years that she was imprisoned in Russia, Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko became a national hero in absentia, lauded for her flinty defiance. Ukrainian military pilot Nadiya Savchenko is surrounded by media upon her arrival at Kyiv Boryspil Airport on Wednesday after being freed by Russia in a prisoner swap. Dissatisfaction with President Petro Poroshenko and the government is strong as the eastern fighting persists and the country wallows in endemic corruption. They were tried in a Kyiv court, which sentenced them to 14 years in prison after finding them guilty of terrorism and waging war in eastern Ukraine. But if the release of Savchenko warmed Ukrainians’ hearts, it could also serve as a reminder of how intractable the eastern conflict may seem.

Source: thestar May 25, 2016 15:09 UTC