Odessans were traditionally reminded on Sunday of the missing and captured

A reminder of missing persons and prisoners of war, which is held every Sunday in Odesa, took place on December 15 with the participation of about 50 relatives of military personnel.

The participants held posters with portraits of missing and captured soldiers.

The posters mentioned the 22nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of Kursk, the 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade, the 35th Brigade, the 55th Separate Mechanized Brigade, and the 5th Separate Kyiv Assault Brigade.

Photo: Dumskaya

The next Free Azov event, during which citizens are reminded of Ukrainian heroes held in Russian captivity, traditionally took place on December 1 on Deribasovskaya Street in the center of Odesa.

The main slogan of the event was "Captivity Kills," which symbolizes the danger that Ukrainian defenders face every day while remaining in Russian captivity.

The prisoner exchange, which 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