Its chaplain, Olexander Chokov, are among the many priests associated Virozub
“The fresh marines mentioned that they had been bombed and this the fresh Moskva cruiser got discharged multiple salvos. What was basically the new males to do?” said Chokov. “They had absolutely nothing to battle with, just server guns and you will small arms.
“Brand new chief decided, grabbed duty in order to save the fresh existence of the 80 people who was basically into island. They raised the white flag and you will surrendered.”
That evening, the new Ukrainian prisoners was indeed relocated to Simferopol airport and you may piled to a keen Il-76 army routes. Virozub measured regarding 2 hundred individuals aboard – new Snake Isle team, the fresh new Sapphire’s team, and additionally Ukrainian soldiers who had been seized from the Kherson area.
Serhiy Rylsky, who was accountable for the fresh lighthouse for the Serpent Isle, recalls that the jet landed regarding Russian city of Kursk, where in fact the prisoners were delivered to a good tent camp. Virozub says the go camping was a student in the latest community off Shebekino, from the Russian edging area for Belgorod. After a week in the go camping, the fresh inmates was basically provided for a pre-demo detention hub in town out-of Stary Oskol, for the Belgorod.
‘Please offer dad home’
It had been a matter of weeks before very first prisoners were create. Rylsky, the fresh new lighthouse director, invested a month during the Russian captivity, coming back family to the twenty four February. He quotes one to 31 some body, generally civilians, have been replaced thereon time. The group integrated brand new crew of your Sapphire – yet not the newest priests and also the doc just who accompanied him or her.
Olexander Mutichko, senior secretary chief with the Sapphire, claims they certainly were exchanged toward mostly Russian crew of your own tanker Millennial Heart, who were grabbed by the Ukrainian forces inside the late March.
Three days after the exchange, Volodymyr Zelenskyi was requested inside the a job interview on earlier in the day records you to new defenders off Snake Isle had all the come murdered. This time around, the guy mentioned that not all of them got passed away, and that the remainder had only returned house.
“Russia showed up with this specific suggestion. We replaced her or him in place of doubt. That’s it. Those who died is, truthfully, heroes. And people who live – i exchanged her or him,” the newest president said.
From inside the February, after the Zelenskyi’s declaration, the newest prisoners’ friends obtained calls regarding Ukraine’s Condition Pointers Agency, and therefore collects information on captured troops.
A couple of sets of grabbed troops had been returned during the exchanges another few days. Bohdan Hotskyi, master of your edging shields, came back family towards the 19 April.
Your doctor and two of one’s priests who were with the board the fresh Sapphire was indeed together with replaced inside April. But Virozub, brand new priest, was only released in-may, once 68 weeks into the captivity.
Considering Hotskyi, the brand new border shield chief, 19 people in their edging guard team will still be within the captivity thus far.
“I really hope he or she is put out. We query all skilled government to find doing work in so it techniques, as they [the brand new defenders] have captivity for over 6 months,” he said.
Loved ones of caught defenders was in fact acceptance to Kyiv into the 5 September to meet up authorities during the Complimentary Head office toward Treatment from Prisoners out of Combat, which includes complete obligations for Ukrainian POWs heated affairs SeznamovacГ aplikace. Following appointment, members of the family informed Graty one 31 marines remained in the captivity – up until 30 October, whenever among them was launched thru a beneficial prisoner replace with Russia. Now, 47 Snake Isle personnel are from inside the Russian captivity.
“My personal child along with his girlfriend has just got a child man. He had been half a year old when his dad decided to go to new isle,” said Tetiana Mykolaivna, mommy away from aquatic Olexander Kardashev. “The guy cannot even comprehend that son has taken 1st tips, that he’s starting to talk, which he has experienced his first white teeth.