Citat:
...The correspondent was given an opportunity by law enforcement officials to speak with the detainees in private. The representatives of the OSCE, the Red Cross, also psychologists and lawyers have already visited the captured Russian soldiers. So far, only Russian officials have not paid a visit, although, according to international law, consular employees have the right (and actually are obliged) to do so.
...
I turned off the camera a couple of times, leaving only a voice recorder running, as I was just not able to film some [emotional] things. For example, the moment when Sergeant Aleksandrov could not hold back his tears after learning from me of the episode aired on [Russian state-controlled TV channel] Rossiya24 where his wife Katerina said that Alexander had been dismissed from the military service in December 2014 and that she did not know about him going to the Donbas.
- Tell me, why is that? All I had was an order, I am no terrorist... there was an order! I gave an oath to my Homeland!.. How old are you?
- Twenty eight.
- Well, we are the same age. I don’t know if you served. But you are Russian, too, we are sort of fellow countrymen. Tell me, how could this all be? ... Why would they disown us?
- I don’t know...
- We had a mission! And that episode you told about, on the TV, what is it about? Is it my wife there or her picture?
- I think that was her who was telling about you.
- Well, maybe it was only a picture of her?! (Alexandrov covers his face with a towel). - Why would she say such things?!
- Maybe that’s not exactly her.
- Then who ?!
- I'm sure, she still loves you, and she probably said this against her will.
- But why?! I swore an oath!... We have been together, in one [military] unit...
I don’t know how to react to that. I don’t know what to say. At the end of the interview Alexandrov asks again to pass his love to Katerina. While I was walking out of the hospital ward, the sergeant buries his face in a paper towel with tears in his eyes.