In Mykolaiv, people were reminded of the hundreds of families who are still waiting for their loved ones to return from military service

On August 16, a rally was held in Mykolaiv to honor Ukrainian servicemen who are being held captive or are considered missing in action.

According to Suspilne.Mykolaiv, about 180 people carrying flags and posters gathered at the intersection of Tsentralnyi Avenue and Velyka Morska Street.

Participants held signs urging people not to forget the soldiers and reminding drivers of those who are still awaited at home.

Among the participants was Karina, who came with her daughter. Her husband, Dmytro, went missing in 2024 while carrying out a combat mission in the Kherson region.

<picture></picture>PHOTO: Suspilne Mykolaiv/Yulia Golokoz

According to Karina, she attends such events not to seek sympathy, but to ensure that the missing and those held captive remain in the public eye.

“If the whole world speaks out, we will be heard,” Karina said.

She added that their daughter has never met her father, and he does not know that he has a child.

Another participant in the rally, Tetyana, spoke about her son Taras—a soldier in the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Mariupol Brigade. He went missing in 2025. He is now 35 years old.

She explained that for a year and seven months now, she has been trying to find her son together with his comrades and the brigade.

“For now, I’m left in the dark,” said Tetyana, explaining why she continues to attend the rallies.

Participants emphasize that such events are meant to draw public attention to prisoners of war and those missing in action and to remind people that their families are still waiting.

Similar rallies are held regularly in citiesacross the Mykolaiv region andother parts of Ukraine. Participants stress that public support helps keep the issue of returning prisoners of war and searching for defenders missing in action in the spotlight.

Earlier, ahead of Marine Corps Day,a motorcade washeld in support of prisoners of war and defenders missing in action. Marines, servicemen released from Russian captivity, and the families of soldiers who have not yet returned home joined the event.

Андрій Колісніченко