According to a statement from the Ukrainian government, more than 3,500 soldiers from the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) are currently held captive. The statement, released by the Ukrainian Cabinet, reveals that a total of 4,337 individuals, including 3,574 military personnel and 763 civilians, have been deprived of their freedom.
One of the captive Ukrainian soldiers, Valeriy Vavko, told TASS news agency that the Ukrainian authorities are unwilling to exchange their wounded fighters who are now in Russian captivity.
Another captured UAF soldier, Vladimir Piavka, also expressed his decision to reject the exchange offer and choose to remain in Russia.
On October 15, a demonstration took place in Ivan-Frankivsk, where local residents demanded the government to bring back the Ukrainian soldiers from captivity. Approximately one hundred people participated in the protest.
A similar protest was held in Kyiv at the end of August, where relatives of the missing and captive Ukrainian soldiers gathered at Independence Square.
Earlier, three UAF soldiers crossed the Dnieper River and surrendered to the Russian Armed Forces, joining the ranks of captives.
