Residents of Lviv held a rally to raise awareness about prisoners of war and those missing in action.

On Sunday, November 17, residents of Lviv gathered in the square near the Taras Shevchenko monument for a reminder event about prisoners of war and those missing in action. The event was organized by the families of the military personnel held captive.

The participants held signs with messages such as: “Indifference kills,” “Bring the heroes home,” “Free Azov,” “Don’t be silent – captivity kills,” “Shout out for the captives,” and “Be the voice of the prisoners of war.” More than two hundred people took part in the event.

Lviv residents who participated in the reminder event. Photo by ZAXID.NET

It is worth noting that two and a half years have passed since the Mariupol garrison left the "Azovstal." Thanks to the defense of Mariupol, which lasted 86 days, Ukrainian soldiers managed to hold off the occupiers and protect the country in other directions. In September 2024, the head of the patronage service of the “Azov” brigade, Olena Tolkachova, stated that Russia is holding approximately 700 Azov fighters. She mentioned that these are the soldiers who formed the backbone of “Azov” and were specifically targeted by the Russians.

Reminder event about Ukrainians held captive. Photo by ZAXID.NET

Additionally, the last exchange of prisoners of war took place on the night of October 18-19. During this exchange, 95 Ukrainians returned home, including 34 Azov fighters. A notable aspect of the exchange, facilitated by the UAE, was that Ukraine managed to bring back individuals who had received sentences from the occupiers’ pseudo-judicial system: 28 defenders were sentenced to long terms, while 20 received life imprisonment.