Among 33 Azov servicemen released today, only two are defenders of Mariupol – Prokopenko
During today’s prisoner exchange, 33 servicemen of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU) "Azov" returned to Ukraine. At the same time, only two of them are fighters of the separate special purpose detachment "Azov" who defended Mariupol.
Censor.NET reports this, citing a Facebook post by Denys Prokopenko, commander of the 1st Corps of the NGU "Azov."
More than 700 Azov servicemen remain in captivity
According to Prokopenko, more than 700 servicemen of the Azov Brigade have been held in Russian captivity for the fifth year now.
He stressed that Azov fighters are included in exchange lists in minimal numbers, which shows the need to look for new approaches to bringing them home.
"If we do not increase pressure on Russia over the exchange of Azov prisoners of war, if we do not find new ways and other approaches to solving this problem, the Russians will continue to kill those who took the first and heaviest blows of this war," the commander said.
Prokopenko also recalled the death in Russian captivity of Azov serviceman Oleksandr Krokhmaliuk, who was tortured by the Russians.
