Organizers invite the people of Kyiv to join the event to ensure that the voices of families and the concerned are heard louder.

On Sunday, June 8, a solidarity action with Ukrainian soldiers held captive by Russia will take place at St. Sophia Square in Kyiv. The event will start at 5:00 PM and will be part of the nationwide initiative «Don’t Be Silent! Captivity Kills», which occurs weekly in various cities across Ukraine.

The organizers emphasize: silence kills. Society has no right to forget those who fight daily for their lives in captivity and those whose fates remain unknown.

Participants of the action are urging the Ukrainian authorities and the international community to take more active steps towards the release of prisoners of war, investigating cases of disappearances, and pressuring Russia for violations of international humanitarian law.

According to human rights defenders, the conditions in which Ukrainian captives are held remain horrendous: people are tortured, humiliated, and denied medical assistance. Some do not survive the abuse and die.

The purpose of the action is not only to support the families of the captives but also to remind society that the fight for every defender continues.

At the press center of «Kyiv Inform», «Evening Kyiv» spoke with Olga Adrianova, co-founder of the Association of Families of Defenders of «Azovstal». She shared how a strong community of families of captives has formed around a shared tragedy, supporting each other and preventing society from turning away from this painful topic.