Defense Intelligence: Pilots Chizh and Pepeliashko captured by russian invaders return to Ukraine

Ukrainian intelligence has brought about the release of two Ukrainian pilots held captive by russian occupation forces

This was reported in the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense.

According to them, it is about Ivan Pepeliashko and Oleksii Chyzh.

Intelligence reports that Ukrainians were captured by the occupiers on March 8 near the village of Nova Basan, Chernihiv region.

The place of detention was changed several times for the pilots.

Eventually, they were taken to the Kursk pre-trial detention center, where they were held in a cell with eight other Ukrainian officers.

Immediately after returning from captivity, the pilots were met by intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.

Now Ivan Pepeliashko and Oleksii Chyzh are safe. They are in the hospital, where they receive the necessary medical care.

Ivan Pepeliashko said that despite the serious injuries, most Ukrainians did not receive basic medical care in the pre-trial detention center.

"The boys are holding on, but most of the wounds have started to fester. They asked the russians to give at least bandages and a solution of brilliant green, to take care of the hardest cases. But in vain," he said.

The occupiers constantly interrogated Ukrainian pilots. Oleksii Chyzh recalls that every interrogation traditionally began with putin's propaganda that Ukraine was invented by Lenin.

"They forced us to record propaganda videos. If we refused, they threatened to stop bandaging their comrades' wounds, saying they would cut the inflamed parts to pieces. They mentioned our families and the danger they face," he said.

However, even during interrogations, russian officers admitted that their blitzkrieg had failed and they failed to achieve its goals.

"They are really zombies! They asked if there were many 'Nazis' in Ukraine, they repeated that they wanted to liberate Ukraine from the Nazis, that we would soon live in one country again, and Poland would take Galicia," says Pepeliashko.