"Come Home": Relatives of the Missing Seamen Organize Charity Event in Odessa

A charity event in support of the missing military sailors from the patrol boat "Slavyansk" and the landing assault boat "Stanislav," as well as other Ukrainian servicemen and their families, was held in the City Garden of Odessa. This was reported by the Odessa City Council.

The event, called "Come Home," was attended by servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, volunteers, public organizations, artistic groups, and artists from Odessa, Kyiv, and Lviv.

The initiative for the event came from the activists of the NGO "United by the Sea," which brings together mothers and wives of Ukrainian military sailors who are currently missing or in captivity.

The resilient women from Odessa not only seek attention for the fate of their loved ones but also raise funds to purchase necessary military equipment. During the event in the City Garden, there was a fair of handmade products, workshops for children and adults, as well as a charity sale of delicacies.

The event concluded with a concert program. All the funds raised will be donated to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Similar events in support of the families of missing sailors and Ukrainian servicemen have also been organized by the public organization "United by the Sea" in Mykolaiv and Kropyvnytskyi.

Further charitable events under the theme "Come Home" are planned to be held in Lviv and Ternopil.

Recall that in early March 2022, while performing a combat mission, the "Slavyansk" was attacked from the air. It sustained damage and sank. During the search and rescue operation, part of the crew was rescued, while the rest of the crew went missing.
On May 7, 2022, during the assault on Zmiinyi Island, the landing assault boat "Stanislav" was hit by a Russian missile launched from an aircraft and sank just 20 meters from the island. The air-to-ground missile hit the engine compartment, causing the boat to sink to a depth of about 20 meters within 20 seconds. Three crew members were rescued, while five went missing.
Relatives believe that the sailors may have been taken captive.