Nadiya Savchenko has made her first speech upon the return to Ukraine from a Russian prison.
"I want to apologize to all mothers whose children are in prison while I am free," Savchenko said before the crowd of reporters at Boryspil airport.
"I will not raise the dead, but I'm always willing to put my life on the field of battle for Ukraine. I will do everything possible for every child who is in captivity now, to have them released. The heroes of Ukraine should not die. It is good when heroes are dead. It is bad when they are alive, bad for all. But we shall live and the heroes will be in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - to the envy of the Russian Duma and the glory of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada will be made up of people who deserve it. We will live as people should live. I do not know how to do it, honestly, and I do not promise that it will happen tomorrow. I'll tell you that I am ready to die for this to happen, and it will happen!" she said.
"I thank you all for fighting for me. You were fighting for everyone who will be freed. If people would not speak out, politicians would be silent forever. Thank you all. I want to thank those, who wished me well, because it is thanks to you that I survived. I would like to say thank you to those who wanted to harm me, because I survived in spite of you all. I want to say thank you to those who were indifferent for not interfering," said Savchenko.
The hero woman got irritated by the crowds, saying she grew unaccustomed to people and asked reporters not to touch her.
On 25 May, Savchenko was exchanged for Russian GRU officers Alexandr Aleksandrov and Evgeniy Yerofeyev.