According to reports in Russia, the Israeli citizen, Vladimir Kozlovsky, who was arrested in the fighting in eastern Ukraine and was held captive for nearly two months, has been released. The moments of Kozlovsky’s release from the hands of the pro-Russian separatists in the Lugansk region were broadcast on the Russian TV channel ‘Russia 1’.
About two months ago, Kozlovsky was arrested as part of the war between Russia and Ukraine – and the pro-Russian forces claimed that he was an “Israeli mercenary”. According to the Russian report, Kozlovsky handed himself over to the forces in the field. After trying to leave the country following the war, he was actually forced by the Ukrainians to return to the battlefield at the front.
In a phone conversation in front of the cameras, apparently with Kozlovsky’s wife, he was heard saying: “Can you hear me? Look how good I look. Wait patiently a little longer and everything will be fine, okay? Here, here they will release me.”
Kozlovsky recounted the time he served, apparently against his will, in the ranks of the Ukrainian army: “The commanders were generally crazy – they thought like drunks about orders and then handed them out. It was further claimed in the broadcast that Kozlovsky found the position of the Russian army himself and went into captivity of his own free will.
According to the Russian reporter: “In the beginning he prayed in Lugansk. After he gave all the information he had – it was decided to transfer the Israeli citizen to the Jewish community in Russia.” Kozlovsky said: “I didn’t expect to survive it, I thought, according to the stories, I would be beaten and tortured.”
“The release process was quick and simple,” they added on Russian television. “Vladimir entered Lada at the border and drove off. In Israel his wife and son will meet him.” The Russian army says: “We gave him to the Jewish community because he found himself in military action on the Ukrainian side, even though he had documents that allowed him not to enlist.”