The chaplain, Olexander Chokov, are one of many priests accompanying Virozub
“The new marines mentioned that that they had started bombed and therefore the fresh Moskva cruiser had discharged numerous salvos. Just what was basically the fresh guys to-do?” said Chokov. “They’d absolutely nothing to fight with, just host guns and you may small-arms.
“The fresh new chief made a decision, took duty to save new lifetime of 80 people that was indeed on isle. They boosted the light flag and you will surrendered.”
One night, the fresh new Ukrainian prisoners was in fact relocated to Simferopol airport and loaded onto a keen Il-76 military routes. Virozub measured on the 200 somebody aboard – the fresh new Snake Island team, the fresh new Sapphire’s crew, in addition to Ukrainian troops who have been grabbed on the Kherson area.
Serhiy Rylsky, who was simply in charge of the new lighthouse to the Serpent Isle, recalls that the plane arrived on Russian city of Kursk, the spot where the inmates have been brought to an excellent tent go camping. Virozub claims the latest go camping was in the fresh town out-of Shebekino, regarding the Russian edging region of Belgorod. After weekly in the go camping, the inmates have been delivered to a good pre-demonstration detention heart around off Stary Oskol, when you look at the Belgorod.
‘Delight promote father home’
It absolutely was a point of months before first prisoners were create. Rylsky, the fresh new lighthouse manager, invested thirty day period for the Russian captivity, returning family into the 24 February. The guy estimates you to definitely 29 some one, primarily civilians, were exchanged thereon time. The team integrated the fresh new crew of the Sapphire – not the fresh new priests and the doctor just who then followed him or her.
Olexander Mutichko, elderly assistant master to your Sapphire, claims these people were traded into the primarily Russian crew of your tanker Millennial Spirit, who have been grabbed because of the Ukrainian forces for the late February.
Three days pursuing the exchange, Volodymyr Zelenskyi is actually requested when you look at the a job interview in the past account you to definitely new defenders out of Snake Isle had all already been murdered. Now, the guy asserted that not all of them had died, hence the others had only came back home.
“Russia came out using this proposition. We traded her or him instead concern. That’s it. People who died was, genuinely, heroes. And those who live – we traded him or her,” the new chairman said.
When you look at the March, following Zelenskyi’s declaration, the fresh prisoners’ family obtained phone calls from Ukraine’s State Guidance Agency, and that gathers information about seized soldiers.
A couple groups of captured soldiers had been returned within the exchanges another few days. Bohdan Hotskyi, chief of edging shields, came back household to the 19 April.
Your medical professional and two of your own priests have been towards the board the fresh Sapphire had been and replaced inside the April. But Virozub, the priest, was only released in may, just after 68 weeks in the captivity.
According to Hotskyi, the new border shield master, 19 people in their border shield cluster continue to be in the captivity yet.
“I’m hoping he is put out. I query every skilled bodies to track down doing work in this techniques, while they [the defenders] can be found in captivity for more than half a year,” the guy said.
Family of seized defenders was indeed greet so you’re able to Kyiv into the 5 Sep to satisfy officials at the Matching Head office on Cures out of Inmates away from War, which has overall responsibility for Ukrainian POWs. Following appointment, family relations informed Graty one to 31 marines remained within the captivity – until 30 Oct, whenever included in this was released via an excellent prisoner replace with Russia. Now, 47 Serpent Isle personnel are inside the Russian captivity.
“My guy and his girlfriend recently had a baby son. He was six months old when his father visited brand new island,” said Tetiana Mykolaivna, mom away from marine Olexander Kardashev. “He cannot have any idea your guy has brought escort service Clovis his first strategies, that he is beginning to cam, which he has already established 1st teeth.