Themes by tag: prisoners

On May 16, Media Center Ukraine — Ukrinform will host a briefing entitled “A year of leaving Azovstal steelworks: cry out, as it’s impossible to be silent” by representatives of Women of Steel NGO.

In May, it will be one year since Azovstal steelworks defenders left the plant’s territory after 86 days of unprecedented defense in the tripled enemy encirclement. Back then, the whole world admired the strength of the spirit of Azovstal defenders. However, neither the fighters nor their families could have imagined that following the evacuation from the drop point of five-ton aerial bombs, they would be sent to torture chambers for an indefinite period of time.

Participants of the briefing:

– Nataliia Zarytska, Chair of the “Women of Steel” Council of Wives and Mothers of Ukraine’s Defenders,” wife of a released from captivity soldier of the Azov Regiment;

– Nataliia Kravtsova, mother of a captured Azovstal defender;

– Nelya Shastun, mother of Azov battalion soldiers, whose one son was killed and the other was held in captivity;

– Anastasiia Mikhilova, who was held for two months in an Azovstal bunker with her four-year-old son;

– Sofiia Cherepanova, sister of a captured Azovstal defender.

Media accreditation required.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• Kyiv

On May 13, a meeting with Valeriia Subotina (call sign “Nava”) will take place in Kyiv. The woman spent 327 days in russian captivity. While still under siege at the Azovstal plant, she married a border guard, Andrii Subotin, on May 5 (the birthday of the Azov regiment). The man even made engagement rings for them out of foil. However, he died shortly after, on May 7.

Attendees will have an opportunity to listen to Valeriia’s poems from the poetry collection “Flowers and Weapons,” which was republished due to Andrii Subotin’s parents’ efforts while the woman was in captivity. After the event, Valeria will talk to the media representatives. Considering her physical and psychological exhaustion, the organizers kindly ask to limit the number of questions, but there will be an opportunity to arrange further interviews.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• Kyiv

The relatives of imprisoned Azov regiment defenders will hold a media briefing at the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform on May 16 to discuss the topic: “A year of leaving Azovstal steelworks: cry out, as it’s impossible to be silent.” Nataliia Zarytska, Chair of the “Woman of Steel” Council of Wives and Mothers of Ukraine’s Defenders,” wife of a release from captivity soldier of the Azov Regiment; Nataliia Kravtsova, mother of a captured Azovstal defender; Nelya Shastun, mother of Azov battalion soldiers, whose one son was killed and the other was held in captivity; Anastasiia Mikhilova, one held for two months in an Azovstal bunker with her four-year-old son; Sofiia Cherepanova, sister of a captured Azovstal defender will become participants in the event. 

Accreditation is required.

For reference: On May 16, Azov fighters started leaving the Azovstal steel plant, where they had held the line for several months. Over 7000 Azov fighters are still in enemy prisons.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

On April 10, during the exchange of prisoners, Valeriia Subotina, call sign “Nava,” Spokeswoman for the “Azov” regiment, returned to Ukraine. The woman was captured on May 16, 2022, during the withdrawal of the Ukrainian military from Azovstal.

Her love story went viral in Ukraine and the world. While still under siege at the Azovstal plant, she married a border guard, Andrii Subotin, on May 5 (the birthday of the Azov regiment). He even made engagement rings for them out of foil. However, he died shortly after, on May 7.

• military
• prisoners
• women

Ukrainian military man Maksym Kolesnikov, whose photo with an apple went viral and made him famous after the release from captivity, returned into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, in April, Kolesnikov took part in the OSCE meeting in Vienna, where he spoke of the crimes that the russians are committing to Ukrainian prisoners. He is ready to tell his story to the media as well.

For reference: Maksym Kolesnikov was captured in March 2022. He was released during prisoner exchange on February 4, 2023.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes

37-year-old Iryna Horobtsova worked for a Ukrainian IT company and became known for her social media posts about life under occupation. Iryna posted photos with Ukrainian symbols and called her apartment her “home resistance headquarters.” On May 13, 2022, the Russians abducted her from her home and kept her in a pre-trial detention center in Simferopol. No one is allowed to visit Iryna, and she is completely isolated from the outside world. The activist’s parents are ready to talk to the media to spread her story and get their daughter released as soon as possible.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kherson

On May 4, 2023, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, will hold a large press conference in Kyiv.

The Commissioner is ready to speak about the atrocities he saw with his own eyes: torture chambers in the liberated regions of Ukraine, mass burials in Izyum, testimonies of people who were in occupation and who know from their own experience what the conditions in the torture chambers were like, the return of Ukrainian children kidnapped by the russian federation, communication with the russian Commissioner for Human Rights regarding humanitarian issues, the results of this communication, the return of Ukrainian soldiers who were in russian captivity, problems with the return of civilian hostages currently held by the russian federation.

Accreditation is required.

• children
• military
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

“The Race for the Drama Theater will start on April 23 at the Lviv Opera House. To participate, you need to fill in a registration form and make a charitable contribution. People from other cities can join the campaign online. The donations raised during the race will be transferred to The Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders. Families members of Azovstal’s Defenders will also take part in the race. The charity race organizer, Maria Nekrasova, has to experience Mariupol occupation herself.

For reference: More than 700 Azov fighters are still held captive by the Russians. They voluntarily laid down their arms in May 2022 after several months of defense of Mariupol.

• military
• prisoners
• Lviv

37-year-old Iryna Horobtsova worked in one of the Ukrainian IT companies and became famous with her posts on social networks about life under occupation. Iryna published photos with Ukrainian symbols, and called her apartment “the home headquarters of the resistance.” On May 13, 2022, the russians abducted her from her home and put her in a pre-trial detention center in Simferopol. No one is allowed near Irina, and she is kept in complete isolation from the outside world. The activist’s parents are ready to talk to the media representatives to share her story and get their daughter released as soon as possible.

• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes

On April 12, 2023, Media Center Ukraine — Ukrinform, the Media Initiative for Human Rights will present a map of places where the russians are holding Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. The map contains systematic data on more than a hundred detention centers in russia, Belarus and the occupied territories of Ukraine. Information on places of detention was collected during interviews with victims and witnesses. Oleksandr Zhuhan, a civilian from Sumy region, who was held hostage by the russians for almost a year, will take part in the presentation.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv