Relatives of the Azovstal defenders are calling for the return of the prisoners on the list of 46
The families of Ukrainian prisoners of war who, after leaving Azovstal, survived the terrorist attack in Olenivka, are demanding the return of the defenders on the so-called “List of 46.” This list includes prisoners who were captured by Russia while severely wounded, as well as soldiers whose captivity has been officially confirmed.
Relatives emphasize the need to bring these defenders home as soon as possible and call for intensified efforts to secure their release.
“Iryna Vereshchuk promised that the issue of seriously wounded prisoners of war would be under her personal supervision. We were promised that in every prisoner exchange, one or two wounded soldiers from Barracks 200 would be returned. We also provided videos of our wounded and complete lists of those held captive. A year has passed, and not a single seriously wounded prisoner has returned during that time,” she said.
Gondul is convinced that the seriously wounded were supposed to be exchanged as part of humanitarian prisoner exchanges.
Currently, the relatives of the prisoners of war who survived the terrorist attack in Olenivka have learned that the lists for the so-called “Barrack 200” were constantly changing. The families of the captives compiled this list on their own. The names of 12–13 people are currently unknown, according to Anna Lobova, the wife of a man who was seriously wounded during the attack in Olenivka.
“A former prisoner of war brought these lists to the prison warden. We knew this information a year ago. We didn’t have a witness who could provide this information to law enforcement. So we remained silent and waited for the investigation to reveal something new. Now this testimony has been documented, but not by the investigators,” she said. According to her, all survivors of the terrorist attack in Olenivka are under investigation.
“Everyone will be tried under Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code (terrorist act, punishable by up to 20 years in prison—IF-U). Our loved ones have been in a complete information vacuum for five years; we have no right to correspond with them or send them packages. I want to remind you that they were promised captivity for 3–4 months and that their lives would be spared, and today there isn’t a single person in this room who made those promises to them at Azovstal,” she said. The prisoners’ families are demanding answers from law enforcement agencies, particularly the SBU, as to why there have been no changes or updates in the investigation during this time.
As previously reported, the number 46 in the context of Olenivka refers to the number of seriously wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war—defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal—who survived the Russian terrorist attack at the penal colony on the night of July 29, 2022, but who remain in Russian captivity to this day. All of them have severe injuries with wounds that have not fully healed and shrapnel lodged in their bodies. The prisoners are being held in Russia and in the occupied territories under harsh conditions of a complete information vacuum, without proper medical care or contact with their families. The occupying authorities are fabricating illegal criminal cases of terrorism against many of them (in particular, against 38 “Azov” fighters).
“Barrack 200” in Olenivka is a separate facility on the grounds of the former Volnovakha Correctional Colony No. 120 in occupied Donetsk Oblast, where Russia held Ukrainian prisoners of war—the defenders of “Azovstal”—and blew up the facility on the night of July 29, 2022. As a result of this terrorist attack, at least 53 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and more than 130 were wounded.
Anastasia Gondyul, the wife of a man who was seriously wounded during the terrorist attack in Olenivka and has been held captive for 50 months, spoke about this on Tuesday at the Ukraine Media Center.
Budanov stated that the return of all Ukrainian prisoners of war remains a priority.
Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President, commented on the appointment of Mykhailo Drapaty as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stating that he is a commander with real combat experience who makes quick decisions and looks out for his troops.
Head of the President’s Office Kirill Budanov responded to the protests that arose following personnel changes in the military leadership. He stated that the authorities have heeded the public’s concerns and called on Ukrainians to remain calm and prevent internal conflicts.
