It began when the Russians started capturing areas in and round Bucha in an try to encircle Kyiv in late February. The battle for Bucha, a Kyiv satellite tv for pc metropolis of about 37,000 residents, was raging by early March and no person might discover out something. Fearing the worst, Kulakivska and her husband evacuated their two youngsters with a stranger.
Natalia Kulakivska doesn’t know find out how to take the information that her husband has been reported alive.Credit score:Kate Geraghty
Kulakivska’s sister’s husband Serhiy Lyubych, 37, had gone to gather water for neighbours on March 7, because the city was already reduce off from electrical energy, gasoline and operating water. He by no means got here again, leaving his spouse Snizhana questioning what occurred to him.
Then Russian troopers then got here for Yevhen, 42, flattening their entrance gate and storming into their home with weapons on March 18.
The troopers pointed at Kulakivska whereas questioning Yevhen. She believes the troopers had been threatening they might do one thing to her until he began speaking.
Shortly afterwards, they took her husband away, and he or she hasn’t seen him since.
She hopes Yevhen will likely be launched as a part of a prisoner alternate.Credit score:Kate Geraghty
In keeping with the Ukrainian Crimson Cross, he’s listed in Russia as a standard prisoner slightly than a army prisoner. She believes he’s being held in a jail within the Russian city of Novozybkov, and hopes he will be launched as a part of a prisoner alternate between the 2 nations.
Kulakivska desires to go to the jail herself, however Ukrainian and Russian human rights activists instructed her that it’s too harmful. She may not come again.
She desires the Russian Crimson Cross to go to the jail to verify her husband is alive, however she has been instructed they will’t.
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She factors out that the Ukrainian Crimson Cross has visited Russian prisoners of warfare in Ukraine, however it seems nobody is allowed to go to her husband.
“Why can they go to Russian POWs in Ukraine however can’t go to Ukrainian prisoners in Russia?”
Requested to verify whether or not her husband was alive, the Russian Crimson Cross mentioned its mandate was restricted and referred this masthead to the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC).
The ICRC mentioned its groups have been in a position to entry some POWs in Russia, “however not all”.
