Sister of medic liberated from Russian captivity tells press how ex-captive feels after giving birth to daughter
DIANA KRECHETOVA – WEDNESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2022
Mariana Mamonova, a medic who was liberated from Russian captivity when she was 9 months pregnant and gave birth to a daughter on 25 September, has been transferred from an emergency care unit to a regular ward.
Oksana, her sister, told Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia that mom and baby are feeling good; Mariana has no complaints.
The baby was given the name Anna.
"She is feeling well. She has been transferred from emergency care to a ward. Her state is satisfactory, she doesn’t complain [about anything] and is happy to have her baby with her", Oksana says.
She also described how her then pregnant sister was treated in Russian captivity. Mariana was captured on 4 April.
"She was treated in different ways. When she was in Olenivka, she and other prisoners of war were treated differently on different occasions, but in general, she never faced any situations which would threaten her life.
When she was captured, her commander informed the Russians that she was pregnant right away. She already knew it at that point. Russians treated her decently and did not hurt her. But she had the same conditions as the rest. So she did not stand out, they just did not bother her", Oksana recalls.
Olena Tolkachova, the head of the Patronage Service of the Azov Regiment, told Ukrainska Pravda that military men liberated from Russian captivity are all in shocking condition – almost all of them suffer from an extreme degree of malnourishment. When asked about the living conditions of her sister in captivity, Oksana stated that the defenders of Mariupol did not get proper nutrition.
"While they were in captivity in Olenivka, they had some soup, maybe some bread. They could get their food at 2:00 am and at 20:00 the next evening. There was no breakfast, no dinner. They (Russians) gave the captives food when they felt like doing it", – Oksana cites her sister.
Mariana was in captivity in a maternity hospital in temporarily occupied Donetsk from early August until 21 September, when some of the defenders of Mariupol were liberated from captivity.
"Since it was a hospital, she was given porridge, soup, cookies, and apples. They brought her clothes, hygiene products, [and] food", Oksana adds.
At the same time, she could not say for sure whether pregnant Mariana was threatened by Russians while in captivity.
"I don’t know if I can talk about it or not. She will be interviewed later and will recount everything herself", Oksana explains.
Earlier, Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia wrote that Mariana’s family worried not only about her but also about the child who was expected to be born in late September. They feared that Russians could take the baby.
"A child cannot live in such conditions so they could simply take her away", Vasyl, Mariana’s husband, expressed his concern.
Mariana Mamonova, the military medic, was liberated on 21 September, along with 214 other Ukrainian prisoners of war.
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