Ukraine's bittersweet reunions: Prisoner exchange brings hope
- This is not only great hope, it's great joy for Ukraine and for the families whose loved ones are coming home. Even if I don't meet my son today, I will be happy for the reunions we will see here, - stated Andriy’s mother, who had disappeared without a trace.
From May 23 to 25, a prisoner exchange took place between Russia and Ukraine. Both countries released 1,000 people from captivity. Many families hoped that their loved ones would return home. While some could indeed breathe a sigh of relief, not everyone was so lucky. "Gazeta Wyborcza" presented the stories of some of them.
She waited for her husband for three years
Andriy was captured by the Russians in March 2022. His wife, Ela, believed all those years that her husband would finally come home. When she learned about the prisoner exchange, she hoped that her beloved would be among them.
- I want to see my husband! I’m running, but I can't see him! – she cried out, terrified when she couldn’t spot Andriy among the arriving Ukrainians.
As Piotr Andrusieczko describes in his article, it quickly became apparent that Ela's husband was indeed among the group of Ukrainians who returned to the country. The couple immediately fell into each other's arms.
- He is very thin, and his eyes seem different. But I know he didn't break. I see it; I heard it in his words. Soldiers who saw him earlier and were released told me that he was very strong in captivity. He was always strong with me, and that helped me through the years - the woman confessed.
A desperate mother waits for the return of her son
- I am 100% sure he is alive. He has been through so much since 2014 that he just couldn't give up and abandon me. That's why I'm here today. I'm certain that during one of my visits, I will finally meet him. Maybe today. And the first thing he sees will be his mom - emphasized Hanna, who hasn’t known what's happening with her son for years.
- This is not only great hope, it's great joy for Ukraine and for the families whose loved ones are coming home. Even if I don't meet my son today, I will be happy for the reunions we will see here - we read in "Wyborcza".
Unfortunately, it turned out that her son was not among the group of Ukrainians returning from captivity. However, the woman does not lose hope.
Released from Russian captivity
- We must not forget that many of our guys are still there, those who have been sitting there for more than three years. There are many from Azov, many who fought in Mariupol, - emphasized Aleksandr, who was held in Russian captivity for six months.
The man did not hide that it is a very difficult experience for many soldiers still in the hands of the Russians.
- They are very distressed, and some are beginning to think they are no longer needed by Ukraine - he admitted.
