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Russia has political will for possible exchange of former Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko for Russian nationals convicted in Ukraine, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said on Wednesday, TASS agency reports.

"The discussion is underway on the legal formula of possible exchange. I do not rule it out, every opportunity to save the lives of our citizens should be used," Matviyenko said, as quoted by the source.

"Political will is needed on both sides for this to happen, and there is political will on our side," she added.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Tuesday that he agreed an "algorithm of freeing" former Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko by exchanging her for Russian nationals Alexander Alexandrov and Yevgeny Yerofeyev in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Commenting on Poroshenko’s statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that "Russia will act in strict accordance with national legislature" in this case. "Only the president can make a decision on this. I cannot say which (decision he will make)," Peskov noted.

To remind, On March 22 Russian court sentenced Nadezhda Savchenko to 22 years in prison, stating she had committed murder in collusion with a group of persons motivated by hatred and enmity. Savchenko was a gunner on an Aidar battalion helicopter and according to Russian prosecutors, reported the location of the two Russian journalists to Kiev troops, who then shelled the area outside Lugansk. The attack resulted in the deaths of the journalists and other civilians. Savchenko has repeatedly rejected all accusations.

Savchenko’s detention and later the conviction caused an international controversy with international organizations and western states calling on Moscow to immediately and unconditionally release Savchenko.