Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the pro-Russian “people’s mayor” of Slavyansk, denied that outside pressure had played a part in securing their release, saying the observers had been set free in accordance with his own earlier promise. Colonel Axel Schneider, a German officer who was among the detainees, told Associated Press news agency that all 12 were in good spirits. “They had a very good attitude and that gave them the strength to stand the situation,” he said. “According to the word of [Mr Ponomarev], we have been treated as good as possible. This is a miserable situation, but we were under his protection.”