In Odesa, the missing and captured soldiers were remembered

A rally in support of captured and missing Ukrainian defenders took place on July 20 on Shevchenko Avenue in Odesa.

Among the participants of the rally were mothers, sisters, wives, and children, Novosti.LIVE reported.

The participants of the rally said that they had no official information from the state. They cannot find answers even after dozens of requests, do not have access to databases, and do not receive calls.

The protesters urged not to forget about those who cannot speak for themselves. Their presence in the squares is a protest against forgetfulness, indifference and inaction.

At the end of June, Ukrainian defenders under the age of 25, as well as those who were injured and have health problems, were returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity. Earlier, during the next stage of a large prisoner exchange, "wounded and seriously ill" prisoners returned home. The vast majority of the released defenders had been in captivity since 2022. Many of them were captured during the defense of Mariupol. Most of the released defenders are officers. Also, some of the liberated are under 25 years old.

Also in June, relatives of the missing soldiers again rallied in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Odesa, demanding that the organization's representatives take a more active part in bringing the defenders home. Relatives of the missing soldiers believe that the ICRC is not doing enough to do this and to search for their relatives.

The International Committee of the Red Cross claims that the organization' s staff thoroughly examines the cases of all missing soldiers. However, the successful search for prisoners of war depends not only on the ICRC, but also on Ukraine and Russia as parties to the conflict.

Кирило Бойко