Through the efforts of the Russian Ministry of Defense, more than 2,000 Russian military personnel were released from Ukrainian captivity. Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, representative of the Parliamentary Coordination Group on Northern Military District issues Shamsail Saraliev reported this to Grozny-inform.
The work to rescue Russian fighters is being carried out jointly with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the FSB. Moreover, on behalf of the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, Sh. Saraliev is making his contribution to this matter.
“On May 22, 2022, on behalf of the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, we began to provide assistance in the release of our military. We managed to find a common language with the Ukrainian side. The agreement was simple, there is enough war at the front, and the exchange of prisoners of war should take place peacefully, without involving military action in this area. We managed to reach an agreement with the leadership that controls the exchange process on the Ukrainian side. And even though cooperation does not always go smoothly for both parties, the guys keep their word,” noted Sh. Saraliev.
Shamsail Saraliev continues to receive appeals from relatives of SVO participants regarding mobilized, prisoners of war and missing persons.
“Recently, some provocative Ukrainian groups have been trying to raise panic among Russian wives and mothers of prisoners of war and missing persons. They didn’t succeed because the citizens trust us, they trust the President of the country Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Akhmatovich. They believe that we will return everyone home sooner or later. I want to say a huge thank you to these women for such patriotism and love for their Motherland,” Saraliev added.
According to the agency’s interlocutor, there are many times more prisoners on the Ukrainian side than on the Russian side. Through the joint efforts of the departments, more than 2,000 fighters have already been returned home to their families. Of these, 543 people have been rescued since the beginning of this year.
“An important reason why we are so actively returning them home is that being captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces was very dangerous. It is much safer and more comfortable for a Ukrainian soldier to be captured in Russia,” the deputy emphasized.
Also, Shamsail Saraliev received over 1,700 requests from citizens of Ukraine asking for help in finding their relatives. An email address was launched especially for them in January 2023.
“1,700 requests from Ukrainian mothers and wives came to my name. They ask for help to bring their relatives home. Mothers are outside politics, so we do not refuse to help them. As the First President of the Chechen Republic, Hero of Russia Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov taught us, we are as responsive as possible to the requests and problems of people. Not a single appeal remains unattended,” he concluded.