POW families hold protest in Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti square – photo

On Sunday, the now-traditional Free Azov protest held by the families and friends of captured Ukrainian servicemen took place in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv.

Source: Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster; hromadske

Details: Relatives and friends of captured Ukrainian servicemen organise regular protests to remind people that the defenders of Mariupol are still in captivity.

Hromadske reported that about 2,000 people gathered in the main square of the capital. The rally was attended by soldiers’ wives, mothers and children. Soldiers and former prisoners of war also joined the protest.

The families of the Azov prisoners of war hold these events every week.

Suspilne quotes one protester, Alisa Shumak, as saying that on 20 February, it will be 21 months since her husband was captured. He is a defender of Mariupol and of the Azovstal steel plant.

"He was captured on 20 May 2022. They were promised guarantees of life and that they would be brought back in 3-4 months, but unfortunately, they are still there," Alisa said.

Alisa said that very little is known about the conditions in which the prisoners are living. She is raising her son, who is 2 years and 7 months old. He was just 4 months old the last time his father saw him.

"Daddy, I dream of meeting you," reads the placard brought by Olena and her 18-month-old son. Olena said she was two months pregnant when the full-scale invasion began, and her son’s father does not even know that he has a child.

Another protester, Tetiana Vyshniak, is waiting for her only son to be released from captivity. She said she has not spoken to her son since 9 May 2022. Tetiana said a fellow soldier of her son’s who was released last year had told her that he hadn’t seen him but had heard his voice. She does not know where her son is or what his state of health might be.

Background:

• On 1 February Lieutenant Colonel Denys ‘Redis’ Prokopenko, Commander of the Azov 12th Special Operations Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, said that over 900 Azov fighters who defended Mariupol in spring 2022 remain in Russian captivity. He has urged relevant officials and agencies to make every effort to free them.
• On 8 February Ukraine brought back another 100 Ukrainians from Russian captivity in the most recent prisoner swap with Russia. Most of them were Mariupol defenders.

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