Russian captivity Archives - Euromaidan Press

ukrainian journalist viktoria roshchyna confirmed dead russian captivity victoria rfe/rl freelance who had previously worked other prominent media outlets

3 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

“She couldn’t even lift her head”: Witness describes Roshchyna’s condition in Russian prison

A new investigation has uncovered that Russian captors tortured journalist Victoria Roshchyna with knives and electric shocks; her weight fell to 30 kilograms before her death.

byMaria Tril

Ukraine returned 150 soldiers from Russian captivity in a new prisoner exchange on 5 February. Source: Zelenskyy Telegram

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

4,131 people freed from Russian captivity, Ukraine says

Ukraine secured the return of 150 defenders on Monday, including many who spent over two and a half years in Russian captivity.

byMaria Tril

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Ukraine returned 150 defenders from Russian captivity, some held over 2 years

"For them and their families, this day carries more weight than all the years of waiting," President Zelenskyy said.

byVira Kravchuk

Australian teacher-turned-soldier Oscar Jenkins who fought on the Ukrainian side and was captured by the Russians.

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Australian POW who was feared dead may be alive in Russian captivity

After weeks of speculation about death following a disturbing interrogation video, Australian Prime Minister acknowledged receiving Russian diplomatic notification that Oscar Jenkins remains alive in detention.

byVira Kravchuk

1 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Abducted Ukrainain mayor of town in Zaporizhzhia Oblast dies in Russian captivity

Russian forces captured the mayor of Dniprorudne in late February 2022, leading to his eventual death in captivity.

byMaria Tril

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Former British soldier fighting for Ukraine captured by Russia in Kursk

A 22-year-old former British Army signalman has been captured by Russian forces while fighting for Ukraine's International Legion in the Kursk Oblast.

byMaria Tril

95 Ukrainian POWs return from Russian captivity, 19 October.

3 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

95 Ukrainian defenders return from Russian captivity, including Azov fighters and POWs facing life sentences

Among those released was Maksym Butkevych, a Ukrainian human rights activist and serviceman, who was captured near Luhansk in 2022 and sentenced to 13 years in Russia. The exchange also saw the return of Vladyslav Andrianov, an Azov fighter who survived the Olenivka prison massacre and faced a 25-year sentence in Russia.

byVira Kravchuk

ukraine probes execution 16 pows russian troops pokrovsk sector september 30 video ukrainian forces donetsk oblast

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

“Real nature of Kremlin regime:” EU condemns Russian glorification of increasing Ukrainian POW executions

Recent incidents of large-scale killings of unarmed Ukrainian soldiers expose what the EU describes as "the real nature of the regime in the Kremlin."

byVira Kravchuk

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna confirmed dead in Russian captivity

Roshchyna, a journalist working with RFE/RL, went missing in August 2023 while traveling to occupied territories and was slated for a prisoner exchange.

byYuri Zoria

4 minute read

People of Ukraine

Mariupol Defender reclaims voice and spirit after 2.5 years in Russian captivity

Ukrainian Marine Yura Hulchuk captured hearts nationwide after his release from Russian captivity, arriving home unable to speak or respond emotionally to his mother’s tearful embrace. Now, Yura has finally broken his silence and is making significant progress in his recovery.

byChristine Chraibi

3 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

“I broke everyone and will do the same to you”: Russian authorities torture Ukrainians with a sense of impunity

A UN commission has found that Russian forces are systematically using sexual violence as a form of torture against Ukrainian prisoners. The report highlights a disturbing pattern of abuse, with male detainees particularly targeted in custody, while women in Russian-controlled villages face heightened risk of rape.

byVira Kravchuk

russia offers largest yet 630-for-630 pow swap ukraine 115 ukrainian prisoners war return late 2024 coordination headquarters treatment rfe/rl reported proposed prisoner exchange since war's beginning 27 suggesting between russian

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Ukraine returns 115 prisoners of war on Independence Day, first exchange after Kursk incursion

This POWs exchange includes 82 defenders of Mariupol, captured in the early months of the full-scale invasion. President Zelenskyy thanked military units for replenishing Ukraine's "exchange fund," enabling the return of 115 defenders.

byVira Kravchuk

9 minute read

First-hand accounts

Scars of war: Ukrainian servicewoman survives Russian captivity, returns to fight

Four months in a cramped Russian cell couldn't break Yulia's spirit. Now, the Ukrainian soldier prepares to rejoin the fight, leaving behind a daughter who fears losing her mother again.

byVira Kravchuk

Before and after Russian captivity, Oleksandr Hrytsiuk.

8 minute read

Starvation, beatings, nails ripped out: Russia systematically tortures Ukrainian POWs till death

Death certificates of Ukrainian defenders whose bodies were returned from Russian captivity usually state tuberculosis or heart attack as a cause of death; however, their bodies show visible signs of torture and starvation, and witness accounts of cellmates who survived Russian captivity prove inhumane treatment and humiliation.

byVira Kravchuk

ministry announces program swap convicted russian collaborators ukrainian defenders prisoners war return from captivity 25 june 2024 coordination headquarters treatment

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Ukraine returns 90 more prisoners of war from Russian captivity, including defenders of Mariupol

Among the released Ukrainian servicemen are 59 defenders of Mariupol, particularly from Azovstal, and five National Guardsmen of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.

byVira Kravchuk

Ukrainian prisoner of war returned after Russian captivity.

3 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

“One cup of water per day for 8 people”: Deaths of Ukrainian POWs in Russian captivity rise, human rights group says

The Ukrainian Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR) verified 22 deaths of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and emphasised that the defenders of Mariupol are treated with extreme cruelty, with approximately 1,300 servicemen from the 36th Separate Marine Brigade still being held in Russian captivity.

byVira Kravchuk

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Ukraine secures release of 75 POWs from Russian captivity

In a major prisoner swap, 75 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians return home.

byChristine Chraibi

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Some 403 Ukrainian women in Russian captivity, including civilians

Russia continues to defy international law by holding 403 Ukrainian women captive, many of them civilians, in deplorable conditions.

byMaria Tril

Latest news Ukraine

Russia detains over 100 Ukrainian civilians without charges, human rights advocate reports

These individuals are kept incommunicado, with no legal charges, inaccessible to lawyers, and often transferred between locations, with some even moved to Russia.

byOrysia Hrudka

2 minute read

Latest news Ukraine

Ombudsman: Russians trying to use relatives of Ukrainian POWs against Ukraine

The Ukrainian Ombudsman says Russia systematically tells Ukrainian POW families that Ukraine blocks returns, demanding relatives hold protests and provide infrastructure photos to Russia.

byYuri Zoria