Defenders of Mariupol and family members of the Azovstal plant defenders receive a Spanish award

DIANA KRECHETOVA - FRIDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 2022 Defenders of the Azovstal plant and members of the Association of Families of the Azovstal plant defenders received the Solidarity award conferred by a famous Spanish media outlet, El Espanol. Among the recipients was Kateryna Polishchuk, a medic nicknamed "Ptashka".

Source: Telegram channel of the Association Los Leones de El Espanol 2022 is an annual award given by the El Espanol media outlet to people for significant achievements in society.

This year, the laureates of the award are the female Ukrainian soldiers who defended the city of Mariupol from the Russian invasion and members of the Association of families of the Azovstal plant defenders. Kateryna "Ptashka" Polishchuk, a medic, and Olha Andrianova, the wife of one of the defenders of Mariupol and the representative of the Association, received the Golden Lion award on their behalf.

Pedro Ramirez, the president of El Espanol, emphasised that the women who defended the Azovstal plant symbolise and synthesise the values of his media outlet.

"Freedom, justice, equality, stamina, independence, militancy and, finally, authority - these are values demonstrated by these women. For instance, by Kateryna Polishchuk, a paramedic, who held up through the Azovstal plant siege and then endured Russian captivity with this same stamina, and Olha Andrianova, a wife of one of the defenders of Mariupol and the co-founder of the Association which fights for the rights of all captives," he stated during the award ceremony held in Madrid on 3 November.

Sponsored contentNew Unit.City campuses by Kovalska Industrial and Construction Group. Aesthetics, Innovation and Energy Efficiency in Wartime

Background: Kateryna "Ptashka" Polishchuk, a paramedic, was liberated from Russian captivity during a big prisoners-of-war swap on 21 September.

214 other Ukrainian soldiers returned home with her. During the months when the defenders of Mariupol were in captivity, the Association of Families of the Azovstal plant defenders called upon the international community to recognise Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, held campaigns and demonstrations, trying to draw the attention of the whole world to the war in Ukraine and its consequences. After the tragedy in the Olenivka PoW camp, they called upon the UN and International Red Cross Community to immediately react to the terrorist act. 

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!