Ukrainian pilots Ivan Pepelyashko and Oleksii Chyzh returned from captivity in russia. The russians detained them on March 8 in the village of Nova Basan (Chernihiv Region).
Pepelyashko and Chyzh were transported from place to place several times until they were put in the Kursk detention center with eight other Ukrainian soldiers. This was reported on the Facebook page of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
“The guys are holding on, but most of their wounds have started to fester. We asked the russians to give us at least bandages and brilliant green, to take care of the most severe patients. But to no avail,” Pepelyashko said about the conditions of detention of Ukrainian prisoners.
Moreover, the russians constantly interrogated them. Each interrogation began with propaganda about “Lenin's founding of Ukraine”. Ukrainians were also forced to record propaganda videos.
“If we refused, they threatened to stop bandaging our comrades' wounds. They said they would cut off angry body parts one piece at a time. They mentioned our families and the danger threatening them,” Chyzh said.
Pepelyashko added that the occupiers kept repeating that they wanted to liberate Ukraine from "Nazis" and that Galicia would be taken over by Poland.
“Immediately after their return from captivity, the pilots were met by Kyrylo Budanov, the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. Now Ivan Pepelyashko and Oleksii Chyzh are safe. They are in the hospital and receiving all necessary medical care. Ukraine continues to fight for all of its captives. We will do everything we can to bring each and every one of them home,” the Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine stressed.
The date of the pilots' release from captivity was not reported. Ukraine and russia conducted several prisoner exchanges.