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Rallies in support of Ukrainian prisoners of war and those still missing in action will take place across the country on October 25-26, aiming to remind the public of the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers who remain in russian captivity. Peaceful gatherings are planned in 30 cities nationwide.

On October 25, events will be held in Arbuzynka, Okhtyrka, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Irpin, Shpola, Volochysk, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Pavlohrad, and Lviv. The following day, similar rallies are scheduled in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Obukhiv, Ovruch, Korostyshiv, Cherkasy, Uzhhorod, Lozova, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Dolynska, Rivne, Poltava, Kovel, Odesa, and Chernivtsi.

The events are organized by the families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Former captives who have since been released often join the demonstrations, standing alongside families to call for the return of those still held by russia.

• prisoners
• Kyiv

A peaceful action titled “Autumn of Captivity” will take place in Kyiv on October 25 to show solidarity with Ukrainian civilians unlawfully held in russian captivity. The event is organized by the non-governmental organization Civilians in Captivity. 

The program will feature remarks from government officials, civil society representatives, and artists, as well as live performances, a moment of silence, and presentations highlighting the scale of civilian imprisonment. Iryna Shvets, a member of the NGO whose husband remains in captivity, will host the gathering.

Organizers say the rally aims to draw public and government attention to the ongoing suffering of Ukrainian civilians detained by russia and to press for immediate action to secure their release.

They are calling on media outlets, international organizations, and all concerned citizens to join the gathering and support efforts to bring the captives home.

• prisoners
• Kyiv

Vira Biriuk, originally from the village of Bakhmutivka in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, endured a year as her village fell under russian occupation, followed by another year in enemy captivity. When russian forces seized her village at the start of the full-scale invasion, she decided to stay in her home despite the growing danger.

A year later, in the middle of the night, occupation forces broke into her house and took her away. The russians accused her of murder, but Vira believes the real reason was her Ukrainian passport, and the fact that her late brother had served in the Ukrainian military defending the Luhansk region.

Under torture, she says, she was forced to sign a confession. For the first month, she was held in a temporary detention facility, then transferred to a pre-trial detention center in Luhansk, where she spent nearly a year in harsh conditions.

In September 2024, Vira was released as part of a prisoner exchange. After a brief rehabilitation period, she settled at a social center’s temporary housing facility. Today, she works with a charitable foundation in Chernihiv that assists families of prisoners of war.

Vira Biriuk is available for interviews both online and in person in Chernihiv, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Chernihiv

Olena Yahupova, a resident of the occupied town of Kamianka-Dniprovska in the Zaporizhzhia oblast, endured captivity and forced labor at the hands of russian forces due to her pro-Ukrainian stance. Olena worked in civil service for over 20 years and was known for her Ukrainian patriotic views. She was denounced for allegedly having a husband who served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In October 2022, occupiers seized her from her home.

During her detention, Olena was subjected to torture as the russians sought information on her husband’s whereabouts and details about other individuals with pro-Ukrainian views.

She was also forced into labor slavery, compelled by the occupiers to dig trenches alongside other hostages. Olena performed this grueling work while living in inhumane conditions. She managed to secure her release after more than six months in captivity.

Now that she is safe, Olena has filed a report with law enforcement and undergone forensic medical examinations. She has been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, cerebral microangiopathy, deteriorating eyesight, and injuries to her hip and shoulder joints. She has been assigned a second-degree disability. As a result of the torture Olena endured, she is scheduled to have surgery to replace two cervical discs with implants.

Olena has been officially recognized as a person deprived of personal liberty as a result of Russian aggression, a victim of human trafficking, and a victim of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).

Journalists have the opportunity to speak with Olena in the Kyiv oblast online or in person, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

Oleksii Sivak, a 42-year-old former sailor from Kherson, saw his life upended by russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Remaining in the city with his wife and disabled mother-in-law, he engaged in acts of peaceful resistance, posting anti-russian leaflets and creating effigies of “dead russians” with like-minded people to make the occupiers feel unwelcome on Ukrainian soil.

On August 24, 2022 — Ukraine’s Independence Day — Oleksii and a fellow resident displayed a Ukrainian flag in the city. The next day, Russian forces captured them both. Oleksii was beaten in front of his wife and held captive for 59 days, during which he was tortured and sexually assaulted (CRSV — conflict-related sexual violence).

After being released, Oleksii started looking for his former cellmates. This effort evolved into the creation of the Alumni Network, which unites men who have survived captivity and torture. He now heads the Alumni NGO, which was established to support Ukrainians affected by russian aggression, including torture and CRSV. The organization provides legal and psychological aid and organizes retreats for its several hundred members, ranging in age from 20 to 76.

Journalists can speak with Oleksii in Kyiv, Kherson, or online by prior arrangement.

Background: russian forces occupied Kherson at the start of the full-scale invasion on March 1, 2022. The Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated the city on November 11, 2022. However, it continues to endure regular shelling by russian forces.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kherson
• Kyiv

A peaceful action titled “Autumn of Captivity” will take place in Kyiv on October 25 to show solidarity with Ukrainian civilians unlawfully held in russian captivity. The event is organized by the non-governmental organization Civilians in Captivity. 

The program will feature remarks from government officials, civil society representatives, and artists, as well as live performances, a moment of silence, and presentations highlighting the scale of civilian imprisonment. Iryna Shvets, a member of the NGO whose husband remains in captivity, will host the gathering.

Organizers say the rally aims to draw public and government attention to the ongoing suffering of Ukrainian civilians detained by russia and to press for immediate action to secure their release.

They are calling on media outlets, international organizations, and all concerned citizens to join the gathering and support efforts to bring the captives home.

• prisoners
• Kyiv

Dmytro Khilyuk, a Ukrainian journalist with 20 years of experience and a correspondent for the UNIAN news agency, has endured over three years of captivity at the hands of the russians as a civilian hostage.

In early March 2022, russian occupiers abducted Khilyuk and his father from a street in Kozarovychi, a village in the Kyiv oblast where the family lived. His father was later released, but Dmytro was taken first to Belarus and then to russia.

He was initially held in SIZO-2 (Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 2) in Novozybkov in the Bryansk region. In an interview, Dmytro recounted that, during the so-called “intake process”, detainees were severely beaten with batons and fists, thrown to the ground, and attacked by dogs. In May 2023, he was transferred to a prison in Pakino in the Vladimir region, where he remained until his liberation.

In total, Dmytro Khilyuk spent 3 years, 5 months, and 21 days in russian captivity. He finally returned home on August 24, 2025, during a prisoner exchange coinciding with Ukraine’s Independence Day.

By prior arrangement, journalists have the opportunity to speak with Dmytro in Kyiv or in online format.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Peaceful events are planned in 29 cities across Ukraine to raise awareness of the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers still in enemy captivity.

On October 4, events will be held in Arbuzynka, Svitlovodsk, Okhtyrka, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Shpola, Volochysk, Pavlohrad, and Lviv.

On October 5, events are planned in Kyiv, Krolevets, Korop, Pivdennoukrainsk, Mykolaiv, Uman, Obukhiv, Ovruch, Korosten, Cherkasy, Ovruch, Uzhhorod, Berdychiv, Lozova, Kharkiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Volodymyr, Shostka, and Chernivtsi.

The events are organized by families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Recently released Ukrainian captives also often join these actions.

• prisoners

On September 27-28, marches will take place across Ukraine to raise awareness and show solidarity with prisoners of war and those missing in action. The events aim to honor the defenders of Azovstal and other Ukrainian soldiers who remain in enemy captivity, offering a peaceful platform for communities to come together in support.

On September 27, gatherings are scheduled in Arbuzynka, Pivdennoukrainsk, Bila Tserkva, Okhtyrka, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Irpin, Dnipro, Shpola, Volochysk, Poltava, Pavlohrad, and Chernivtsi.

On September 28, rallies will be held in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Obukhiv, Ovruch, Korostyshiv, Cherkasy, Uzhhorod, Dolynska, Berdychiv, Lozova, Kropyvnytskyi, Lviv, Shostka, Ternopil, Odesa, and Chernivtsi.

The initiatives are organized by the families of Mariupol garrison prisoners, together with Ukrainians recently released from captivity, to support ongoing advocacy efforts.

• prisoners
• Kyiv

He once brewed coffee amid the chaos of the sprawling steel factory. Today, he runs his own coffee shop in Kyiv, serving the distinctive “shaman coffee” he perfected while holed up in the Azovstal steel plant, Ukraine’s last stronghold during the siege of Mariupol, alongside hundreds of outnumbered and outgunned soldiers, many wounded and emaciated, as well as more than 1,000 civilians. This is the story of a veteran and former prisoner of war, who goes by the call sign ‘Marquis.’

Marquis joined the Ukrainian army in 2015, when russia first launched its attacks on the country. Before the war, he ran a furniture manufacturing business and worked abroad, but he returned home to volunteer with the Ukraine’s ultra-nationalist Right Sector.

On the front lines, he met a medic named Olena, who crafted a unique coffee blend that quickly won his admiration. Inspired, Marquis began making the drink himself, refining it over the years. Soldiers on the front came to know it as “shaman coffee,” a brew he prepared both at military posts and later, during his time as a civilian after the Anti-Terrorist Operation. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, he rejoined the army immediately.

Marquis fought to defend Mariupol and endured the harrowing siege of Azovstal. He recalls having to crush coffee beans with a grenade to make his signature brew. In May 2022, he and his comrades were ordered to surrender, spending over seven months in captivity. Upon returning home, he intended to continue his military service, but lingering health issues forced him to step back.

Determined to bring a piece of his front-line experience to civilian life, Marquis opened Shaman Coffee in Kyiv. His brew is prepared in a cezve over a burner and infused with 15 different spices. He has also developed a portable field version — bags of ready-made coffee and spice blend. Looking ahead, Marquis hopes to expand Shaman Coffee into a chain of shops.

Marquis is available for conversations about his journey, both online and in person in Kyiv, by appointment.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv