Where is Mama? – How a Ukrainian boy was abducted by Russian forces euronews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from euronews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For Olha Kurtmallaieva, Jan. 31 was a day of dashed hopes. On that day, Ukraine and Russia carried out their 50th prisoner exchange since 2022, with Ukraine bringing home over 200 POWs – nearly half of them were soldiers who had for three months bravely defended the southern coastal city of Mariupol before it was finally captured by invading Russian forces in May 2022. It was Ruslan, her husband, whose last name we can’t disclose due to security reasons.
On 31 January, 207 Ukrainian soldiers were brought back from Russian captivity, including defenders of Mariupol and Kherson, fighters from Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, marines, and combat medics. Junior Sergeant Zakhar, whose family was killed during a missile strike on an apartment building in Dnipro, was among those liberated, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Over 4,000 Ukrainians are still being held as prisoners of war in Russia and many families have not heard from their loved ones in one and a half years.
Over 4,000 Ukrainians are still being held as prisoners of war in Russia and many families have not heard from their loved ones in one and a half years.