The pre-trial detention center where the defenders of Mariupol are located is overcrowded and food and water need to be improved.
This was announced in an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda by the wife of Azov commander Denys Prokopenko, Kateryna.
She noted that the man got in touch a week ago, but she could not ask him about the conditions of his detention.
According to her, people who contacted Azovstal defenders said that conditions were satisfactory and everyone was waiting for an exchange.
"We know that the pre-trial detention center is overcrowded and, of course, that some resources may be lacking. Again, food, water — it all needs improvement. At the moment, we want to resolve this issue as soon as possible, so that the Red Cross attracts as many of its connections and resources as possible in order to improve all that the guys have now," said Kateryna Prokopenko.
According to her, representatives of the Red Cross were next to the defenders of Mariupol only at the beginning of the evacuation. It is unknown whether they are currently holding Ukrainian prisoners from Azovstal.
"We donʼt have a report from them, there is no photo recording, or video recording from a third party, what are the real conditions there. We only have photos and video recordings of the Russian side. Given these videos, we can understand that only the Russian side is present. And we need just a third independent party that will show the real conditions," said Kateryna Prokopenko.
- On May 17, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed that on the evening of May 16, the process of removing Ukrainian servicemen from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol began. More than 250 fighters were the first to leave.
- The speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation called the Ukrainian military from "Azovstal" "war criminals" and said that they should not be exchanged.
- On May 19, members of the International Committee of the Red Cross were able to visit some Ukrainian servicemen who had left the Azovstal plant in Mariupol and were in occupied Olenivka, Donetsk Oblast. The visit was confidential, details of the conditions of detention of Ukrainian defenders are not disclosed.
- On May 30, the wives and mothers of Azovstal defenders announced the creation of the Women of Steel NGO.