Tetiana, please tell us about your son. Please tell us about Ruslan.
My name is Chuhunova Tetiana. My son is Shulha Ruslan Ihorovych, born in 1994. He defended the city of Mariupol starting from April 12 and was captured during an attempt to break through to his own forces on the large land. For three years, we have been appealing to the whole world and calling for negotiations to resolve the issue of returning the marines, including my son, the marine, to freedom. For three years now, we have been appealing to the whole world and calling on them to sit down at the negotiating table and resolve the issue of the return of the Marine Corps, and in particular my Marine son, to freedom.
We ask to resolve the issue of the return of our citizens to Ukraine.
In three years, I have only received two letters from him. I don’t know anything about him, only news from Anatoliy, who was released in December of 2024, that Ruslan is alive. The condition of the prisoners is a very pressing issue because over these years, they have endured torture. They have been tortured with electric shockers. We know that they return the dead from captivity, which is horrific in the 21st century. Please save our prisoners.
Thank you very much.
Do you want to say something to your son? to Ruslan?
Yes, my son, I’m sorry.
Over these years, I haven’t written you many letters. Anatoliy sent me greetings from you and said that you really dream and want to try. You forgot the taste of chips. Son, there will be chips, and chips will be on the table. Let’s go. We’re waiting for you so much. I believe you’ll come back soon. I’m doing everything I can so that you return. I will go to any institution and fight for your release. Hold on, son. Live with hope and faith that you will get through this. God will give you the strength and endurance you need. He knows how much time and how much more you will need to go through this journey. Remember how people prayed in captivity, and with the help of prayer, doors opened. I believe that the time will come when the doors will open for you too, and you will come out alive and unharmed. The most important thing is to get through this journey. Everything else, you will catch up on.
Thank you. Thank you for everything.
Would you like to say anything to Americans?About how they can help?
I don’t believe much in politics and I don’t trust politics because the government in America has changed, and I see that Trump sided with Russia. Fascism might thrive, but for Americans, it depends on you. If you stay silent and do nothing, the war will come to you too. If people can go out onto the streets and change something, and support Ukraine, please do it for us. Because the war and rockets might hit your house. You must help and call on the world to stop this arms race.
I remember how I lived through my childhood under Soviet rule when we said “peace” and that we needed to stop the arms race. I feel now that with new standards, these technologies have gone further, and drones, which could be used for peace—for example, in agriculture or other areas—are now being used for weapons. Someone is making money off this. Can’t we stop Putin and his team who are pumping oil, and the money is being used to destroy us? Why do these funds go to oligarchs, and why should they destroy a nation like Ukraine? I want you to raise this question. I want to live peacefully on my own land, where we don’t need borders, and we can freely travel to any country in the world. This should be the way in the 21st century. I remember in my childhood, when my mother was alive and before the Great Patriotic War, Ukraine was rebuilt, and there was a call for fascism never to repeat. Now my mother is almost 85 years old, and she has felt the war again. She wants to wait for my son, and she doesn’t want to wait for her grandson to come home. I also send you greetings from her, Ruslan. Grandma is holding on, and I hope that very soon you will be part of a prisoner exchange and come home.
Thank you, thank you very much.
We will always be together, Mama.