‘I have died every day’: Ukraine wives of Mariupol fighters plead for help from Turkey

The women asked for help directly from Turkey’s President Erdogan, who is under pressure to do more to counter Russian aggression

Natalia Zarytska (L), wife of an Azov fighter, and Natalia (R), mother of an Azov fighter, attend a press conference, in Istanbul (AFP via Getty Images)

He had promised her that after just one more tour of duty, he would end his military career. The two would marry, settle down and have kids in their hometown of Mykolaiv. They had even decided on a name for their firstborn: Matvei.

Then the war with Russia started, and 32-year-old Olga Boiko’s fiancee, a member of the Ukrainian Marines 36th Brigade, wound up in the besieged coastal city of Mariupol. He’s now among the soldiers trapped inside the Azovstal steel plant.

And she is on the road, now in Turkey with a group of other partners and parents of the military men. On Monday, they beseeched Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to use his influence to ensure their safe passage home. Azovstal is now surrounded by Russian forces, who insist that the men surrender, which Ukrainians believe will mean their death or imprisonment.