Zelenskyy: thousands of Ukrainians in Russian captivity are enduring the same ordeals as victims of Soviet repression
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew a parallel between Soviet political repression and the situation of thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held in Russian captivity, calling on the free world to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
"Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and members of other nations went through the Soviet machine of terror. The overwhelming majority of them – simply for being who they were. Today, together, we honored the memory of those killed by political repression at the Bykivnia Graves National Historical Memorial Preserve and also laid flowers at the Memorial Sign of Polish Burials." he wrote on X.
The president stressed that these historical examples of Russia's "savagery" serve as a repeated reminder that "evil cannot go unpunished; otherwise repression and abuse return with renewed force."
"Now, when thousands of our people – prisoners of war and civilian detainees – remain in Russian captivity and are going through the same trials, it is important not to forget this." he stressed.
Zelenskyy called for necessary efforts to be made at all levels to bring each of them home. "And above all, we must ensure justice and that criminals are held accountable for their actions. The free world has sufficient strength to ensure this," the president concluded.