Over 2,000 Mariupol defenders remain in Russian captivity
That’s according to Chief of Staff of the Azov Regiment Bohdan Krotevych, who reported this during a press conference, an Ukrinform correspondent heard.
"All officers who have been released from captivity are actively cooperating with the coordination headquarters regarding the release of other POWs. No one is forgotten. Officers, the government from its side, media, and volunteers, we must all remember that there are still more than 2,000 defenders of Mariupol being held in Russians prisons," Krotevych said.
According to the official, there is currently an idea regarding a new "exchange fund" to free Ukrainian prisoners, which has not yet been announced.
The chief of staff added that there is information about the current holding in the Olenivka penal colony of the Mariupol defenders, including Azov fighters.
"The war is not over yet. Our war did not end in Mariupol. Our war still continues in captivity, on the battlefield, and in the process of recovery. Our war is not over, because this is our way, and this is the defense of the Motherland and our nation. Our goal is victory, which can’t be taken for granted," Krotevych added.
As Ukrinform reported, on September 21, as a result of a major exchange effort, more than 200 Ukrainian defenders, as well as 10 foreigners, were freed from Russian captivity. The five Azov commanders will remain in Turkey until the end of the war under the personal security guarantees of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Vladimir Putin’s ally in Ukraine, People's Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk, suspected of high treason, alongside 55 Russian military, was handed over to Russia.
