During the long siege of Mariupol, Pavlo Mosinjan advanced as far as the Azovstal steelworks. The industrial complex was the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance, with months of fierce fighting.
And it was Azovstal that he contacted his family several times. For example, he sent a video message: “Hello family. I thought of making this video so you can see how well I’m doing. We are hiding here. Is everything okay.”
As Pavlo’s father, Mykola Mosinjan, told Radio Free Europe, they later learned that his son had been injured. Then he texted us: ‘Mom, dad, don’t worry. Just a scratch.’ But later we learned that they had to operate on him. Moon was reportedly unable to walk and was bedridden. Then the hospital in Azovstal was bombed.’
In May 2022, Pavlo Mosinyan and other fighters surrendered on the orders of the Ukrainian government and became Russian prisoners of war.
Following in the footsteps of “Cousin Max”
We’ve been following Max’s story since spring. In April, Seznam Zprávy met personally with Olena Nikulinová in Kiev, where she volunteered for the Serhij Prytula Foundation. We have been in contact with him electronically ever since.
Even before he was caught, he could text his wife on his cell phone. “Our bride, Aljon, received a text message. It read: ‘My family will change us in a few days.’ That was the last message we got from him,” said Svitlana, Pavlo’s mother.
The family carefully studied all the videos showing Azovstal’s surrender. She could not find her son in any footage or photographs released from the scene. “But we heard his voice on screen in a video,” Baba adds hopefully.
Later, the parents at least managed to communicate with the man who served with their son: “He told us that he was with our son in the barracks, and then at that factory. When he was injured, he helped carry him. They said they were like brothers. You can be proud of your son. He’s a real hero, he told us.’
Svitlana Mosinyanova adds that the soldier confirmed to parents that their son was captured by Russian troops and is one of many missing Ukrainians taken into Russian captivity.
Source: Seznam Zpravy
I am Joel Fitzgerald, a news website author for The News Dept. I have worked in the media and journalism industry for over 10 years and specialize in world news. My articles have been featured in prominent publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, where I am an expert contributor on global affairs.
I also write extensively on topics related to politics, economics, business, finance and technology. My work has been recognized with numerous awards from organizations such as the United Nations Press Corps and Associated Press Editors Association of America (APEA).
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