More than 600 Azov fighters remain in Russian captivity, nearly half convicted of terrorism
Photo: Rally in support of Azov Brigade service members (Getty Images)
More than 600 Azov Brigade fighters remain in Russian captivity. Over 20 of them are in critical condition, and nearly half have been convicted on fabricated charges, representatives of the Azov Brigade said during a press conference.
How many Azov fighters remain in captivity
According to Nestor Barchuk, head of international relations for prisoner-of-war affairs at the Azov Corps of Ukraine's National Guard, more than 600 members of the unit are currently being held by Russia. More than 20 of them are in critical condition.
Colonel Bohdan Hrishenkov, commander of the 12th Azov Special Purpose Brigade, said that 270 of the more than 600 captured fighters have already been convicted.
"Of the 600 prisoners of war currently in captivity, 270 have been convicted on fabricated terrorism charges," he said.
Why prisoner exchanges are difficult
Serhii Yerymoshyn, deputy brigade commander for logistics, said Russia treats Azov fighters differently from other prisoners of war, making exchanges significantly more difficult.
"Azov fighters are not exchanged like ordinary prisoners of war," he said.
Arsen Dmytryk, chief of staff of the 1st Azov Corps, stressed that bringing captured comrades home remains the top priority.
"Our primary task is to bring our guys home. It is an enormous effort," he said.
Russia systematically convicts captured Azov fighters on fabricated terrorism charges, with some receiving prison sentences ranging from 5½ to 22 years in maximum-security penal colonies. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has announced criminal charges against Russian judges involved in issuing those sentences.
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) has previously said Moscow deliberately complicates the return of prisoners from particularly sensitive categories, including Azov fighters, and uses them as a tool of information pressure.
