Zelensky's chief-of-staff reveals details about Azovstal commanders' return from Turkiye
The return of the Azovstal commanders from Turkiye, where they were after Russian captivity, was an agreement between the heads of Ukraine and Turkey.
Andrii Yermak, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in an interview with LB.ua that there were no additional requirements.
"This is what the two presidents agreed on. Turkiye put forward no additional conditions," Yermak said.
He explained that it was a crucial visit for the President of Ukraine to Turkey, during which many topics were discussed.
"I can say once again: few leaders in the world have the kind of relationship that President Zelensky and President Erdoğan have," Yermal said. "This is very important and was important on the eve of the Vilnius summit because we need Turkey's support. Of course, they also talked about the grain initiative and many other topics."
According to Yermak, President Zelensky addressed President Erdoğan regarding the Azovstal defenders. Then the Turkish president confirmed that after President Zelensky's request, they agreed commanders could return to Ukraine.
Zelensky's chief-of-staff told LB that the Azovstal commanders had already been in Turkiye for a long enough time and were kept in normal conditions.
"I would like to thank our Turkish partners, and friends, for ensuring their safety. But the time has come. It was difficult for them to stay there, understanding what was happening in Ukraine. The war is not over yet, and for them, for the people who defended Azovstal, it was psychologically tough," Yermak noted.
He said it is not his competence to say whether the commanders will return to the front. "They are in the National Guard today. I think the National Guard and military command will decide it," he said.
What we know about commanders' return
Five commanders from Azovstal Steelworks in Mariupol returned from Turkiye to Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 8.
The commander of the Azov brigade Denys Prokopenko ("Redis"), his deputy Sviatoslav Palamar ("Kalyna"), the acting commander of the 36th separate marine infantry brigade Serhii Volynskyi ("Volyn"), the senior officer of Azov Oleh Khomenko and the commander of the 12th brigade of the National Guard, Denys Shleha, came back home after Russian captivity and stay in Turkiye.
Mariupol was blockaded by Russian troops last year. The houses of at least 84,000 citizens were destroyed. It is impossible to carry out an exact count of the dead. According to estimates, up to 22,000 residents died in Mariupol.
On May 4, 2022, the Russians broke into the Azovstal plant, which Ukrainian soldiers protected. Fighting continued between the occupiers and Ukrainian defenders.
On May 17, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the higher military command had given an order to the commanders of the units in Azovstal Steelworks to save the lives of the personnel, so the Russians captured the fighters.
On September 21, 2022, Ukraine freed 215 people from Russian captivity, including 108 Azovstal fighters. Among them are the commanders of the Mariupol garrison, Denys Prokopenko, Sviatoslav Palamar, Serhii Volynskyi, Oleh Khomenko, and Denys Shleha. However, the commanders have been in Turkiye since September under the protection and security guarantees of President Recep Erdogan. They were to remain there until the end of the war.
In May 2023, Kateryna Prokopenko, the wife of Redis and the founder of the Association of Families of Defenders of Azovstal, said that the commanders were in a closed regime facility.
