Azov Regiment Patronage Service comments on condition of liberated defenders: severe dystrophy

IRYNA BALACHUK, SEVHIL MUSAIEVA – SATURDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, 14:55

Ukrainian soldiers who have been recently liberated from Russian captivity are in a shocking condition – almost all of 215 people suffer from extreme dystrophy.

Source: Olena Tolkachova, head of the Azov Regiment Patronage Service, in a commentary for Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: “The condition of our soldiers is utterly shocking. Some relatives find it hard to even recognise their loved ones. Our guys are exhausted, contused, have a lot of hidden fractures and exacerbations of chronic diseases of various degrees”.

Details: Tolkachova stated that all soldiers are getting proper medical care now; many of them are already being treated and rehabilitated.

She added that a team of doctors is working in concert “not to miss a single bruise, a single scratch”.

Soon, the Patronage Service, jointly with  the government, will send some of the liberated soldiers abroad for treatment and rehabilitation.

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Tolkachova reported that governmental bodies are working in order to restore all documents and bank cards so that these people are able to receive salaries.

She also reported that the liberated soldiers are expressing their gratitude to the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the President for liberating them from Russian captivity.

Background: 

• On 21 September, 215 Ukrainian soldiers were liberated from Russian captivity within the framework of the exchange of prisoners of war.
• Among the liberated POWs there are also border guards, policemen, marines, members of the National Guard of Ukraine, members of Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Forces, customs officials and civilians. In particular, Denys Prokopenko “Redis”. Serhii Volynskyi “Volyna”, Sviatoslav Palamar, Denys Shlega, Oleh Khomenko, commanders from the Azovstal plant, were liberated, as well as Mykola Kushch (Frost) and Kostiantyn Nikitenko, soldiers from Azov Special Operations Forces, who the occupiers planned to execute.
• The five commanders of the Azov Special Operations Forces are in Turkey, under personal protection and security guarantees from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
• Viktor Medvedchuk [Ukrainian businessman and pro-Russian politician to whose daughter Putin is godfather – ed.] and 55 Russian occupiers returned to Russia as a result of the exchange.

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