Its chaplain, Olexander Chokov, are one of several priests associated Virozub
“The latest marines said that they had come bombed hence new Moskva cruiser got fired numerous salvos. What was indeed the fresh guys doing?” said Chokov. “They had nothing to battle with, only servers firearms and you can small arms.
“The latest chief determined, got responsibility in order to save the fresh new existence of the 80 those who was basically on the island. It boosted the white banner and surrendered.”
You to evening, this new Ukrainian inmates was relocated to Simferopol airport and you can loaded onto a keen Il-76 military aircraft. Virozub measured on the 200 some body up to speed – the latest Serpent Island personnel, the newest Sapphire’s team, together with Ukrainian soldiers who were caught from the Kherson part.
Serhiy Rylsky, who was accountable for the new lighthouse into the Snake Area, recalls your planes landed about Russian city of Kursk, in which the inmates were delivered to good tent camp. Virozub states the go camping was at the newest village from Shebekino, from the Russian border region of Belgorod. After per week from the go camping, new prisoners have been provided for a good pre-demonstration detention middle in town regarding Stary Oskol, within the Belgorod.
‘Excite offer father home’
It actually was a matter of days until the first inmates were released. Rylsky, the latest lighthouse manager, spent thirty days from inside the Russian captivity, returning house towards the 24 March. He prices that 29 someone, mainly civilians, was basically traded on that date. The team included the new crew of your own Sapphire – although not the newest priests and also the doctor who followed them.
Olexander Mutichko, senior assistant captain toward Sapphire, says these were exchanged on the generally Russian team of your tanker Millennial Heart, have been seized by the Ukrainian pushes in the later February.
3 days after the replace, Volodymyr Zelenskyi is requested inside an interview regarding the past profile one to the new defenders off Serpent Isle got all the already been killed. This time around, he said that not all of them had passed away, hence the others got just returned house.
“Russia appeared with this particular suggestion. I traded them versus concern. That’s it. People who passed away are, actually, heroes. And those who live – we replaced him or her,” the chairman told you.
Into the February, after the Zelenskyi’s declaration, the newest prisoners’ household members obtained phone calls regarding Ukraine’s Condition Suggestions Bureau, and that gathers information on captured soldiers.
Several categories of grabbed troops was indeed came back inside the exchanges the second week. Bohdan Hotskyi, head of one’s border guards, returned household with the 19 April.
Your medical professional and two of one’s priests who had been to your board this new Sapphire had been including traded for the April. However, Virozub, the new priest, was just released in-may, once 68 weeks in the captivity.
Considering Hotskyi, the latest border protect captain, 19 people in his border protect party are still within the captivity thus far.
“I really hope he could be put-out. We query the competent regulators locate doing work in it procedure, while they [the fresh new defenders] are located in captivity for over six months,” the guy told you.
Loved ones of your seized defenders had been desired so you’re able to Kyiv on the 5 Sep to generally meet officials in the Complimentary Head office to your Therapy regarding Inmates out of Combat, with total obligation to possess Ukrainian POWs. Pursuing the fulfilling, family unit members told Graty you to definitely 29 marines stayed in captivity – up until 29 Oct, whenever among them was launched through an excellent prisoner change with Russia. Today, 47 Serpent Island personnel are from inside the Russian captivity.
“My personal child and his awesome partner has just had a baby boy. He was 6 months old whenever his father decided to go to the island,” told you Tetiana Mykolaivna, mommy out-of marine Olexander Kardashev. “The guy doesn’t even know that the child has brought his first actions, that he’s starting to speak datingmentor.org/escort/corpus-christi/, that he has had his first pearly whites.