Their chaplain, Olexander Chokov, are one of many priests accompanying Virozub
“This new marines asserted that they’d already been bombed and therefore the brand new Moskva cruiser had fired several salvos. What was basically the people to do?” told you Chokov. “They had nothing to fight with, just server weapons and you can small arms.
“The newest chief determined, got obligations to save the life of your own 80 people that were toward island. They boosted the white flag and you can surrendered.”
That nights, the newest Ukrainian inmates was relocated to Simferopol airport and you can stacked on to an Il-76 army aircraft. Virozub measured on 200 someone aboard – the new Serpent Isle group, the Sapphire’s staff, as well as Ukrainian troops who were seized in the Kherson region.
Serhiy Rylsky, who had been accountable for new lighthouse on Serpent Isle, remembers that the airplane got on the Russian town of Kursk, the spot where the prisoners had been delivered to a good tent go camping. Virozub states the fresh go camping was a student in the village off Shebekino, about Russian edging area for Belgorod. Immediately after each week from the go camping, the inmates was basically delivered to a beneficial pre-trial detention middle in town out-of Stary Oskol, in the Belgorod.
‘Excite give father home’
It was a question of months before the earliest inmates was basically put out. Rylsky, the lighthouse director, spent 1 month for the Russian captivity, returning household into the 24 March. He rates that 29 anybody, mostly civilians, was basically traded on that big date. The team incorporated the new team of your own Sapphire – although not this new priests plus the doctor whom observed him or her.
Olexander Mutichko, older secretary chief toward Sapphire, states they certainly were traded into primarily Russian staff of the tanker Millennial Soul, have been seized by the Ukrainian pushes when you look at the later March.
Three days pursuing the change, Volodymyr Zelenskyi are questioned within the a job interview throughout the previous reports one the defenders out of Snake Isle got most of the started slain escort service Grand Rapids. This time, the guy said that not all of them got passed away, hence others had just returned family.
“Russia made an appearance using this proposition. We exchanged them as opposed to doubt. That’s all. People that died is, really, heroes. And people who endured – i exchanged them,” this new president said.
Within the March, following the Zelenskyi’s statement, the newest prisoners’ members of the family obtained phone calls from Ukraine’s Condition Recommendations Agency, which gathers details about caught troops.
Two categories of grabbed soldiers were returned from inside the transfers the following times. Bohdan Hotskyi, head of the border shields, returned household with the 19 April.
Your doctor as well as 2 of one’s priests who have been to the panel the brand new Sapphire was indeed in addition to traded inside the April. However, Virozub, brand new priest, was only create in-may, just after 68 days in captivity.
Predicated on Hotskyi, the latest border guard master, 19 members of their edging protect group are nevertheless within the captivity yet.
“I’m hoping he or she is put out. We inquire all the skilled government to locate working in which techniques, because they [brand new defenders] come in captivity for over six months,” the guy told you.
Friends of your own captured defenders had been acceptance so you’re able to Kyiv on 5 Sep to satisfy officials at Complimentary Head office to your Cures out of Prisoners out of Combat, which has overall obligation to possess Ukrainian POWs. Pursuing the conference, family told Graty one 30 marines remained when you look at the captivity – up to 30 October, whenever included in this premiered through a beneficial prisoner change with Russia. Today, 47 Snake Island personnel are inside the Russian captivity.
“My personal man with his girlfriend has just had a baby child. He had been 6 months dated whenever their dad decided to go to the new isle,” said Tetiana Mykolaivna, mother out of aquatic Olexander Kardashev. “The guy will not have any idea the guy has taken his first procedures, that he’s just starting to speak, which he has had his first teeth.