CBS, Buzzfeed, and Sky News journalists detained in Ukraine, then freed

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine, May 2 (UPI) -- CBS reporter Clarissa Ward and her crew, Buzzfeed's Mike Giglio, and Sky News reporters were detained by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine Friday.

The journalists were detained, held, and then released. After their release, they discussed their experience with their respective outlets and on Twitter. Clarissa Ward of CBS told CBS This Morning abouther experience.

"We were stopped and told that the commander needed to ask his commander whether we should either be let go or taken prisoner. From there we were then taken to another nearby tent where we were blindfolded with sort of cloth and masking tape, really quite tightly bound around our heads so we couldn't see anything at all."

The militants then separated the men and women and interrogated them. Ward said she could hear them discussing whether to hold them in case of a hostage negotiation.

"You start to feel a pit in your stomach," she said.

Ward and her colleagues were released and are now safe but one of the men on her team was beaten before their release.

Giglio told his story on Twitter after his release.

We were taken from a pro-Russia checkpoint en route to Slovyansk, blindfolded and held at occupied police building. The ordeal took 3 hours.

— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 2, 2014

All the journalists and crew taken with me, including my brave translator Lena, are released and safely back in Donetsk as well.

— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 2, 2014

Once they decided to release us -- and a translator overheard talk of taking us hostage -- the pro-Russia militiamen politely served us tea.

— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 2, 2014

Barnaby Green from Sky News was brief in his tweet.

Well that was interesting....

— Barnaby Green (@barnabysky) May 2, 2014