Russian media outlets Mediazona and Meduza report that Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Ishchenko, who served as a driver in the Azov regiment and was captured in Mariupol, has died in Russian captivity at a detention center in Rostov-on-Don.
According to the reports, Ishchenko’s death was announced by his lawyer at the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation. The court is currently hearing a case against 22 captured Ukrainians associated with Azov.
The date and cause of Ishchenko’s death remain unknown. His lawyer has requested that the court demand a death certificate, a request which has been granted.
The 55-year-old Ishchenko was born in Mariupol. His wife said that he had been a sailor and had returned from a voyage just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Shortly after, he joined the Azov regiment as a driver.
According to the reports, Ishchenko was captured during the fighting in Mariupol.
The case underscores the ongoing concerns about the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian custody, though the specific conditions of Ishchenko’s captivity and the events leading to his death remain unclear based on the available information.
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