Wife of Azov Regiment commander calls for liberation of Ukrainian soldiers from Russian captivity

"I ask everyone to make every effort and participate in the liberation of Heroes from captivity, support the families of the fallen, support those who return from captivity, who need rehabilitation. The defenders of Mariupol and the Azovstal steel works showed the whole world what those who believe in the Motherland and its freedom are capable of. Those who will never betray will fight to the last, for every piece of Ukrainian land. And, you know, it is important to understand: the alive must fight for the fallen, the healthy – for the wounded, and the free – for the prisoners," Kateryna Prokopenko said during the Kyiv Security Forum, Ukrinform reports.

She noted that about 2,000 Azovstal defenders are still in Russian captivity.

"Of them, about 700 are the members of the Azov Regiment, whose situation is the most difficult. Many are wounded since the defense of Azovstal or from torture. There are also a lot of women," Prokopenko noted.

According to her, the mass killing of POWs at the penal facility in Olenivka became one of the most tragic events in the history of independent Ukraine.

"At least 50 Azov Regiment members were killed, about 100 were wounded. A terrorist attack planned by the Russians, planted explosives, the desire to fool everyone with a fairy tale about HIMARS, the elimination of fighters – this is what Russia lives by, both literally and figuratively. But will the guilty be punished? The UN mission to investigate the tragedy was disbanded, and the Red Cross still cannot visit the camps of Ukrainian prisoners of war," Prokopenko said.

She emphasized that the Mariupol defenders had an extraordinary strength of the spirit of victory, love for the Motherland. Having fewer weapons than the enemy, they did the impossible, drawing the enemy's forces to themselves and giving other cities time to prepare.

"We can talk for a long time about Russia's crimes in Mariupol. Just imagine that all the crimes of the world were localized there. Looting, violence, using civilians as shields, firing on civilians and critical objects, killing prisoners of war on the spot. For example, a confirmed fact is known: Dan Zvonyk, an Azov Regiment member, who was captured in April. He was tortured and later his photo was sent to his mother. All of this would not have happened if Russia had not come," Prokopenko emphasized.

As reported, the Ukrainian military defended Mariupol city for more than 80 days. On May 16, the evacuation of defenders from the Azovstal steel works blocked by the Russian invaders began and lasted for several days.

On September 21, more than 200 Ukrainian defenders, as well as ten foreigners who fought on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, returned from Russian captivity as a result of the exchange.

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