500 days in Russian captivity: Families of Mariupol defenders protest for their loved ones

(27 Aug 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

++AUDIO AS INCOMING++

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine - 27 August 2023
1. Various of families of Mariupol border guards who are in Russian captivity for 500 days standing with posters on Independent Square
2. Various of 5-year-old Roman Katsy standing with poster reading (Ukrainian) "Return our father from captivity"
3. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Kateryna Kulik, wife of captured Mariupol defender Dmytro Katsy, mother off Roman Katsy:
"(Their) father has been in captivity for a year and six months. He defended his native Mariupol, ours… He protected us. We are waiting for him."
4. Close of Roman Katsy playing under his mother's legs
5. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Kateryna Kulik, wife of captured Mariupol defender Dmytro Katsy, mother of Roman Katsy:
"We went to bed, and my son said to me, 'mom, I want to be captured,' and I say, 'son, that is bad, it's very bad there,' and he says, 'if I go there, I would help dad get out.' I hope that adults will help all our prisoners of war get out of there. Because the kids are already going there."
6. Various of families of Mariupol border guards who are in Russian captivity for 500 days standing with posters on Independent Square
7. Various of people standing with yellow and blue flares
8. Various of Butko family sitting with a poster
9. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Mykola Butko, 9, son of captured Mariupol defender Petro Butko:
"My father is a border guard. He is in captivity for more than 500 days. I really miss him. We believe that he will return back home."
10. Wide of protester with a Ukrainian flag
11. Various of destroyed Russian vehicles in Independent Square
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of people came to Kyiv's Independence Square on Sunday to protest their loved ones still being in Russian captivity after 500 days.

Families of border guards and volunteers of the Territorial Defence came to the square with various posters telling their stories.

Mariupol resident 5-year-old Roman Katsy stood with a poster reading "return our father from captivity!"

Roman was in the Russian siege with his mother Kateryna and older sister Sophia while his father Dmytro Katsy defended the city.

They have had no information about their father or his location for more than a year.

"We went to bed, and my son said to me, 'mom, I want to be captured,' and I say, 'son, that is bad, it's very bad there,' and he says, 'if I got there, I would help dad get out'," Roman's mother Kateryna Kulik told the Associated Press.

Another family at the protest was the Butko family. Petro Butko is a border guard.

Russia held him captive in Azovstal after 86 days of defending Mariupol.

His son, 9-year-old Mykola, held a poster and looked down sadly.

"I really miss him. We believe he will return home,” said Mykola Butko.

AP video shot by Vasilisa Stepanenko

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