«There are no holidays in captivity»: Mykolaiv residents held a rally to remind of prisoners of war held by Russia

Mariia Khamitsevych
•
20:30, 29 December, 2024

Residents of Mykolaiv held a rally to remind of prisoners of war, photo: Anna Hakman, NikVesti

On Sunday, 29 December, a peaceful rally was held in Mykolaiv to remind people of the Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war and missing persons.

The rally was attended by relatives, friends of prisoners of war and concerned residents of the city, a correspondent of NikVesti reports.

The participants marched peacefully along the main pedestrian street of the city from Tsentralnyi Avenue to Soborna Square.

Residents held placards, flags of different brigades and photos of their loved ones in captivity, calling for their return home.

In addition to relatives and family members, ordinary Mykolaiv residents also attended the rallies. Volunteer Anna said that she does not have anyone in captivity, but when she has free time, she comes to such events to support families.

«No wonder they say that we are the voice of the captives, so that they are not forgotten. This is a daily reminder on social media to our and foreign communities that Ukrainian defenders, our heroes, are currently in captivity, that they are being tortured, that no conditions for prisoners are being met. If their voices are silenced, unfortunately, everyone will forget about them. I urge everyone to come to support them, even if your relatives and friends are not there, come and support the families, because these people fought for us so that we could stand here and live our lives. There are no holidays in captivity,» said volunteer Anna.

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, also addressed the crowd on the square.

«Today, here, on Soborna Square, there is no Christmas tree, but people who show the whole world that we are united in our desire to have our loved ones return from Russian captivity. They count every day and hope for their release,» he said.

NikVesti Mykolaiv residents held a rally to remind of prisoners of war, photo: Anna Hakman, NikVesti

Residents of Mykolaiv held a rally to remind of prisoners of war, photo: Anna Hakman, NikVesti

Activists in Odesa also decorated the city's main Christmas tree with inscriptions reminiscent of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

On the fence around the city's main Christmas tree, posters appeared with the following inscriptions: «captivity = hell», «when is the exchange?», «remember at what cost you are alive», «captivity kills».

It should be noted that rallies in support of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Mykolaiv and Odesa take place every Sunday.

«There are no holidays in captivity»: Mykolaiv residents held a rally to remind of prisoners of war held by Russia

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