SBU chief: 298 Ukrainians still in captivity
The number of Ukrainians who currently being held hostage by illegal armed formations or by Russian troops now totals 298, but this figure could change, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said in an interview with Lb.ua, which was released on Wednesday.
"A number of the hostages, who are held by illegal armed formations or by Russian troops because Russia [has] partially taken them on [to] their territory, you know a long ago. Nadia Savchenko is among them. A number of people are captured and we know this for sure, its 298 persons," he said.
The SBU said this number may change, "because every day subversive groups are sent [out] on temporary occupied territory for two things: to blow up some strategic infrastructure object, which is under the control of Ukraine, or to kidnap a person."
"Now task number one for the militants is to kidnap some of the [Ukrainian] military men as a boomerang to the world [as a] public demonstration of Russia aggression, proof in the form of sergeant and officer of the Main Intelligence Directorate [of Russian General Staff who were captured in Luhansk region]," Nalyvaichenko added.
He also said that 2,716 people have already been liberated from militant captivity.
