May 20 is the second anniversary of Mariupol defenders leaving Azovstal. However, the vast majority of the defenders of the city are still in Russian captivity.
Over 1,900 defenders of Azovstal are in Russian captivity
On May 16, 2022, the evacuation of 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol began by order of the command of the Defence Forces. On May 20, the Russians took out the last of them.
The occupiers kept most of the defenders in the temporarily occupied Olenivka and Novoazovske. Later, they were transferred to Russian colonies.
Today is the second anniversary of Mariupol defenders leaving Azovstal. 86 days of heroic defence of Mariupol and more than two years in Russian captivity. They went through hell in Mariupol, then in Olenivka, and now they continue their struggle in captivity. Over 1,900 soldiers from Azovstal are still in captivity, the mayor of Mariupol said.
The city council stressed that the struggle for the release of Ukrainian soldiers from captivity and their return home continues every day.
As of 2023, only every fifth of almost 2,500 captured defenders of Mariupol was returned.
Before this date, the "Azov" regiment released a thematic video calling for the release of prisoners.
In conditions when our wounded comrades were dying without the necessary medicines, and it was impossible to continue the defense of Azovstal, the Mariupol garrison was captured by order of the higher military command, the Azov regiment reported.
As reported in the "Azov" regiment, they managed to recover and increase their combat power, and they are fighting every day for the freedom of fighters who have been in captivity for 736 days.
We are united by one goal: to return 900 captured Azov citizens home, said the Azov regiment.
Russia uses Ukrainian prisoners as a psychological weapon
According to Petro Yatsenko, head of the press service of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, every second family received calls from Ukrainian military prisoners calling for rallies.
They started arriving in the 22nd year, but it was not so massive. There are such military units, relatives, who actually receive such calls and messages en masse, and this work from the Russian side has been carried out for a long time. Now, after this postponement of exchanges, it has started with a new force.
Petro Yatsenko said that Ukrainian prisoners are forced to repeat the same narrative.
That is, we understand that this is an organized campaign. The narrative is such that, they say, look: they are ready to exchange me, but apparently Ukraine does not want to take me. And you have to put pressure on the government, you have to do some actions.
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