Another rally in support of prisoners held in Odesa

On October 20, relatives, military personnel and concerned citizens gathered in Odesa to commemorate the fate of those still in captivity.

The event traditionally began with a minute of silence and the national anthem.

Today, dozens of people gathered in the city center on Deribasovskaya Street, including relatives, volunteers and concerned citizens. People held handmade posters with slogans on them: "In captivity, the living envy the dead", "Be the voice of those who were your shield", "AZOV is not at home" and "Bring the heroes back alive".

The organizers called on Odessans not to be indifferent and join such events, as every voice, every action and every donation brings victory and the return of the heroes home closer.

During the event, it became known that one of the defenders of Odesa region returned home during the last exchange. This was reported by the event organizer Anna Pazhera. The woman congratulated the defender's mother, but also reminded that hundreds of thousands of people continue to wait for the return of their loved ones.

The prisonerexchange that took place on the night of October 19 allowed 95 Ukrainian defenders to return home. This is the 58th prisoner exchange since the beginning of the invasion. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the peculiarity of this exchange is that many Ukrainians are returning home who received so-called "sentences" from the aggressor country's judicial system and were "convicted": 28 to long sentences and 20 to life imprisonment for defending their land from the aggressor.

Earlier, on September 14, a large prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine took place, and 103 soldiers who had previously been captured by the occupiers returned home. Then 103 soldiers were exchanged - 82 privates and sergeants. 21 officers.

On September 13, 49 heroes finally returned home. Among them are 23 women who were illegally detained by Russia. This is the largest number of women exchanged in recent times.

In August, 22 prisoners were returned to Ukraine. In July, 45 of our prisoners were returned to Ukraine. Among them are soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service and two civilians. In June, 95 of our people were returned to Ukraine. The list includes soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and border guards.

Кирило Бойко