Russia does not exchange Mariupol defenders, gives no information to families — captured soldier’s sister

She shared the information on Espreso TV.

“Unfortunately, the situation has not changed dramatically. There are many of our POWs. The defenders of Mariupol are a separate category who are not exchanged. Family members of the POWs have no access to information from Russia, no news, no communication. We don't know the condition of our defenders in captivity,” said Cherepanova. 

The representative of the “Women of Steel” NGO also added that 86 days of the terrible defense of Mariupol were difficult for Ukrainian defenders.

“It affected their health. Plus two more years of torture, two years of hunger and cold. It's hard to imagine what kind of guys and girls will come back to us, including my brother,” Cherepanova emphasized.

• On May 16, 2022, the Ukrainian military began to withdraw from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.  The so-called evacuation, or rather an “honorable surrender,” lasted from May 16 to 21. The soldiers had been defending Mariupol since February 24, 2022. Following an order from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the defense of Mariupol was halted on May 20, 2022, to save the lives of the military personnel.
• Two years ago, Ukraine's top military and political leadership ordered the defense of Mariupol to be halted and Azovstal to surrender.