"I am afraid the most that they take child away" - the mother of Mamonova, Ukrainian pregnant captured military medic

On September 28, the woman should give birth to her first child. Neither she nor her relatives imagined the baby's birth like that and now they are most afraid that the child will be born on the territory of Russia and will be given Russian citizenship.

Espreso talked to Oksana Cherepushko, the mother of prisoner of war Maryana Mamonova, and asked when she expects her daughter to return home.

Ms. Oksana found out that her daughter was in captivity by accident from published photos of Ukrainian prisoners. Among them were several dozen women and the mother of Maryana recognized her in the photos.

The daughter was captured in April at the plant named after Ilyich in Mariupol. Before they were surrounded, she called me and her sister. She said that she wanted to sleep and was very tired because there were many wounded soldiers. She never told me that it was difficult for her. On the contrary, she was always fine. Only several times she mentioned that they had problems with products, because humanitarian aid was not delivered to them at that time, or was delivered in limited quantities. She said that at night they went to get flour, baked pancakes in a pan, to have something to eat. Then she was in the first trimester of pregnancy," recalls her mother Oksana.

After Maryana was captured, her relatives did not communicate with her, had the news about her only from people who returned after the exchange. They confirmed that the occupiers had a pregnant woman in captivity.

 "According to the descriptions, it looked like it was our Maryana. We don't really know in what conditions she is now and in what conditions she was. We know from the latest reports that she was transferred from the pre-trial detention center to the maternity ward and is under the supervision of the Red Cross. This calmed me down a little," the woman says.

According to the mother, there is information that Maryana Mamonova is on the lists for exchange.

 "When there was an exchange of Ukrainian prisoners of war for the last time, we thought that she would be there. But she was never exchanged, even though she was the first on the list," she added.

 Military medic Mamonova is a doctor by profession. She decided to become a military doctor when the Revolution of Dignity began.

 "Just as the Maidan began, Maryana decided to try to become a military doctor. She left and did not want to come back. She said that there is a need of people there," Ms. Oksana says.

Mamonova studied at the Ternopil Medical University, later she continued her studies at the Kyiv Military Academy. Then she was directed to work in Berdyansk. She received the rank of medical officer, lieutenant, and recently, captain. She was often in the busiest hospitals, where she treated the wounded. Since November, she has been in the leading positions.

Mamonova got married last year in September. She lived with her husband for only a month and returned to the front again to save Ukrainian soldiers. She came home occasionally.

Now her mother, two sisters, brother and husband are waiting for her at home. Their biggest dream and hope is that Maryana will be returned home to Ukraine, and she will still be able to give birth to a child in her homeland.

 "Every day there is more and more anxiety. I worry the most about the fact that if she gives birth in Russia, they will take the child away and give Russian citizenship. I am appealing to the whole world to help to return my daughter to me. She has a family, parents, and a husband. We hope that she will return at least in the last days of her pregnancy," added the mother.

 At the weekend, rallies were held in many cities of Ukraine and Europe in support of the captured military medic Maryana Mamonova.  Women with children reminded the world that any Ukrainian could be in the place of a captured pregnant woman.

Photo by Gettyimages. Action in support of Maryana Mamonova in Lviv   

Photo from  open sources. Action in support of Maryana Mamonova in Rivne