"In Focus" and "The Stories of Maria Yotova" introduce us to Goritsa Radeva, who is a Tavrian Bulgarian and works as a correspondent for our publication from Ukraine. She took up this activity because it was clear to her that if Russia was not stopped in Ukraine, it would continue on. She makes reports after shelling, about the cities around the front. She makes interviews with military personnel, Nova TV specifies.
However, Radeva also launches a petition to Bulgarian institutions. The reason is that many Bulgarians (Tavrilian, Bessarabian) have been captured, with Tavrilian Bulgarians being in the occupied territory. Goritsa Radeva wants Bulgaria to mediate for an exchange of prisoners.
However, there is one civilian Bulgarian who has been driving people from the occupied territories to Bulgaria. She has been in Russian captivity for two years.
Marina Petranova has been in Bulgaria since 2017, has had citizenship since 2022. A paramedic. Her husband worked as a transporter. He stopped transporting people when the war started, but then resumed. He completed seven courses before disappearing. He rescued people from the occupied territories and brought them to Bulgaria. Later, Petranova learned that he was detained by the FSB. He is in Rostov, in a pre-trial detention center. He is accused of terrorism and extremism, as well as treason. He faces a sentence of 12 to 30 years. She communicates with her husband only through a lawyer.
Marina Petranova has contacted all institutions - Bulgarian and Ukrainian, MEPs. She has received answers that the case is being monitored and... that's it. She says that there is no mechanism under the Geneva Convention for the exchange of civilian prisoners... She is waiting for a reaction from the state.