An estimated 800 Azov Regiment members are held prisoner, including over 40 women, some pregnant
ALONA MAZURENKO – TUESDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2022, 18:00
Olha Kravchenko, the head of the department dealing with PoWs and their families of the Azov Patronage Service, reported that about 800 Azov members remain in Russian captivity; over 40 of them are women, and some among them are pregnant.
Source: Kravchenko on the air on Suspilne [Ukrainian news outlet]
Quote: "An estimated 90% of the PoWs who got out are in an extreme stage of malnourishment, moral and psychological exhaustion, to such a degree that we were simply shocked…
They have old shrapnel and gunshot wounds that have been severely neglected because there was no proper treatment either [while they were] in Azovstal or while in captivity. The guys have various fragments inside their bodies, which need to be operated on.
There are injuries such as severed tendons and loss of vision."
Details: When asked if pregnant women in captivity are given proper medical support, Olha answered that it wasn’t even a topic of conversation and they should be transported to the Ukraine-controlled territory.
The Patronage Service has allocated access to medical facilities for all fighters. Currently, they are working on determining diagnoses, because there are many hidden and undetected diseases.
None of those liberated from captivity were sent home, because all of them absolutely required medical treatment.
According to Kravchenko, many elderly people have remained in captivity who, in addition to combat injuries, also have chronic diseases.
A big difference is visible in the PoWs’ state of health between the first exchange 3 months ago, and the second – on 21 September.
The UN mission and the Red Cross should have access to Ukrainian prisoners, but this is not happening, because the Russian side is not allowing access.
Quote: "We inform everyone who applies to our service for information about relatives in captivity that we cannot interview liberated service members, because they are not yet ready for questioning.
Now it is at such a stage that we can only listen to what they say. When we ask questions, soldiers hesitate and say they don't remember."
Background:
- On 21 September, Ukraine succeeded in freeing 215 Ukrainian defenders as part of a prisoner swap with Russian occupiers.
- National Guardsmen, border guards, police officers, marines, soldiers of Territorial Defence Forces, customs officers, and civilians are among those who have been set free. In particular, Denys "Redis" Prokopenko, Serhii "Volyna" Volynskyi, Sviatoslav Palamar, Denys Shleha, Oleh Khomenko - commanders from Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol - have been set free, as well. In addition, soldiers of the Azov Regiment, Mykola "Frost" Kushch and Kostiantyn "Fox" Nikitenko, whom the occupiers wanted to execute, have also returned to Ukraine.
- Five commanders of the Azov Regiment are currently in Turkey under the personal protection and safety guarantees of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, they will stay in Turkey until the end of the Russian war against Ukraine.
- Russia got back Viktor Medvedchuk [Ukrainian businessman and pro-Russian politician, whose daughter Putin is godfather to – ed.] and 55 occupiers.
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