More than 130 women from Azovstal are in Russian captivity – Vereshchuk
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA — THURSDAY, 11 AUGUST 2022, 15:52
Iryna Vereshchuk, the Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine reported that the Russians had captured 130 servicewomen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including border guards and medics, at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.
Source: Vereshchuk at a briefing at the Ukraine-Ukrinform Media Centre.
Quote from Vereshchuk: "There are 131 women from Azovstal. That includes those who served in the Azov Regiment, military medics, border guards, the 36th Marines Brigade, the National Guards, the Armed Forces and other formations."
Details: Vereshchuk stressed that Ukraine will make efforts for their release and asked the international community to pay attention to Russia's inappropriate actions regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.
Background:
- Mariupol was blockaded by Russian troops on 1 March. From the end of April, the defenders of Mariupol were holed up in the Azovstal plant: they included representatives of the Azov Regiment of the National Guard, marines, border guards, and police.
- The defenders of Mariupol entered Russian-controlled territory on 16-20 May. According to the Russian side, 2,439 fighters came out of the dungeons of Azovstal. Representatives of the Red Cross registered Ukrainian defenders as prisoners of war.
- The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine declared that the Mariupol garrison had completed its combat mission and commanders were ordered to preserve the lives of personnel. The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine explained there was no other way to save the defenders from Azovstal than to leave the plant under the occupiers.
- The Russians and their accomplices from the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts threaten to put the Azov fighters on trial.
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