The commander of the 12th Azov Brigade, Redis (Denis Prokopenko), criticized the prisoner exchange that took place on August 24.
He is unhappy that the list of more than 100 fighters that Ukraine has returned does not include the Azov fighters who defended Mariupol in the first months of the war.
He described the circumstances of today’s exchange as follows:
Putin needed to reduce the pressure inside the Russian Federation and save face by returning the conscripts captured in Kursk. Those responsible for the exchanges on the Ukrainian side needed to organize a media “victory” for the holiday, in keeping with Soviet traditions.
There was no place in this formula for the Azov prisoners, who have been waiting for the promised exchanges for more than 2 years, despite the fact that in Ukraine there is a colossal demand from society for the return of those who in 2022 in Mariupol did everything so that Ukraine would continue to exist and celebrate Independence Day today, and not, as Redis wrote on his Facebook page, “national unity day.”
The commander of the Azov Brigade recalled that the Ukrainian negotiating team had enormous leverage during this exchange, speaking from a position of strength, but “they did not take advantage of all this,” because there is once again not a single Azov member in today’s exchange.
A precious chance and time have been lost. What are all the pompous words said today worth if none of the 900 servicemen loyal to Ukraine, who are treated the worst in Russian captivity, have returned home? Falling asleep today in your cozy homes, where there are no guards, interrogations or torture, think about whether you really understand what independence is and whether you realize the price we pay for it. This will not console the families of those who celebrated Independence Day in captivity for the third time today. It will not make the stay of my brothers in Russian prisons any easier. But perhaps it will help you finally dare to fight for the Azovites during the next negotiations, just as they fought for Ukraine’s independence in Mariupol.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.