Themes by tag: prisoners

On November 15, Kyiv will host the human rights action “Empty Chairs” in support of journalists, writers, cultural figures and human rights activists who have gone missing, have been imprisoned or are in captivity because of russia’s war against Ukraine. The event will feature a symbolic installation of empty chairs.

Lawyers, family members and friends of detained media workers will speak at the event. Among them are Oksana Mykhalevych, a lawyer for Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist abducted by the russian military, and Olena Tsygipa, the wife of imprisoned journalist Serhii Tsygipa from Nova Kakhovka.

Media professionals returned from russian captivity will share their experiences – in particular, civil journalist and human rights activist Liudmyla Huseinova and journalist and Crimean politician Nariman Dzhelial.

The event aims to unite the efforts of all those who support Ukraine and fight for the release of civilians and prisoners of war unlawfully detained as a result of russia’s war against Ukraine.

For reference: The event is organized by PEN Ukraine and the Center for Civil Liberties.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Alla Senchenko is both a skilled tailor and a dedicated soldier. She joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2018, serving for three years before her initial contract ended. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Alla wasted no time and reported to the military recruitment office, where she was mobilized as a rifleman.

In May 2022, while defending Lyman in the Donetsk region, she was captured by russian forces. Held in captivity for eight months and 11 days, Alla recalls relying solely on her faith and hope to endure. On February 4, 2023, she was finally released and returned to Ukraine. After completing her rehabilitation in late March, Alla was able to reunite with her family, whom she had not seen since the war began.

Today, Alla works at the Lutsk Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support. Alongside her current role, she dreams of designing clothing for soldiers and remains steadfast in her hope for Ukraine’s victory.

For those interested, Alla Senchenko is available for conversations both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• Lutsk

Peaceful demonstrations will take place in 26 cities across Ukraine to draw attention to prisoners of war and missing persons, including the Azovstal defenders and other military personnel still held in enemy captivity.

On November 9, rallies are planned in Okhtyrka, Pavlohrad, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Irpin, Dnipro, and Zaporizhia. The following day, November 10, events will be held in Kyiv, Pivdennoukrainsk, Mykolaiv, Uman, Cherkasy, Poltava, Uzhhorod, Korosten, Obukhiv, Krolevets, Ovruch, Korostyshiv, Kremenchuk, Odesa, Ostroh, and Chernivtsi.

These gatherings aim to remind the public of the ongoing plight of those in captivity and rally support for their release.

• military
• prisoners
• Kyiv

Tetiana Tipakova, originally from Donetsk and a longtime resident of Berdiansk in Zaporizhia Oblast (now under occupation), spent nearly 30 years working in a travel agency. When russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she became an active voice in support of her country, organizing peaceful protests in Berdiansk.

For her efforts, Tetiana was abducted by russian forces. Blindfolded and taken to a detention center, she endured two days of interrogation and brutal torture, including electric shocks to her fingers and a mock execution. She was forced to record a video apology before being released. However, the next day, she was captured again, held for four more days, and subjected to further abuse.

After this harrowing experience, Tetiana made the decision to flee Berdiansk. She crossed more than 20 checkpoints to reach Zaporizhia, where she founded a women’s initiative group. This eventually led to the creation of the NGO “Ridna Stezhka” (Home Footpath), dedicated to helping displaced people and supporting fellow Ukrainians.

In the early stages, Tetiana’s organization provided food, medicine, and support for evacuees, helping them settle into their new lives in Zaporizhia. Within the first year, the NGO successfully applied for 24 grants, winning 3.

By 2024, Tetiana had secured financial backing to launch an educational space offering computer literacy classes, movie screenings, and psychological support. Her organization is now expanding its mission to empower women through education, training, and ongoing support in Zaporizhia.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Zaporizhzhia

After two years in enemy captivity, 33-year-old Vadym Nesterenko returned home bearing both physical and psychological scars. Having served with Ukraine’s Defense Forces since 2011, Vadym began his military career with the Izmail Border Guard and later joined the 35th Separate Marine Brigade. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, Vadym found himself on Snake Island, where he and his fellow soldiers were ultimately captured.

During his two years and three months in captivity, Vadym endured harrowing conditions. He faced relentless torture, including gassing, electric shocks, and beatings that left him with broken bones and missing teeth. By the time of his release on May 31, 2024, Vadym weighed just 59 kilograms.

Following his return, Vadym underwent rehabilitation at a center in the Lviv region, working tirelessly over three months to regain his health and rebuild some of his lost weight. Now focused on recovery and future goals, he hopes to return to service and fulfill his dream of visiting Paris.

Vadym is currently in Lviv and will travel to Odesa on November 4. He is available for interviews with journalists, either in person or online, with prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Lviv
• Odesa

Olha Kurtmallaieva, a 25-year-old finance professional, was in her hometown of Berdiansk, Zaporizhia oblast (currently occupied), when the full-scale russian invasion began. She managed to leave the occupied territory in the summer of 2022.

Olha’s husband, Ruslan, has been defending the country since 2014, serving in the ATO/JFO zone. He has now been in russian captivity for 30 months, having been captured during the defense of Mariupol in 2022.

In 2021, Olha was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system). Despite her serious illness, she actively fights for her husband’s release and participates in every POW-related event. Initially, she co-founded a non-governmental organization to help soldiers of the 501st Marine Battalion return home. Later, together with other women fighting for the return of captured Marines, she created the association “Marine corps strength”, a coalition of seven public organizations, three charitable foundations and a family association. Among other things, the women organize events, hold meetings, and communicate with representatives of the Ukrainian government. The association also provides legal aid, support for released prisoners, psychological support for families, and aid to the front lines.

During the full-scale war, Olha learned that her disease had progressed from the second to the fourth stage. Doctors attributed this to her high stress level. Olha has undergone 16 rounds of chemotherapy and is in remission, but still needs a stem cell transplant.

By prior arrangement, journalists can talk to Olga in Kyiv.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• Kyiv

Peaceful events are planned in 26 cities across Ukraine to raise awareness of the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers still in enemy captivity.

On 26 October, rallies will be held in Ochyrka, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Bila Tserkva, Irpin, Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia and Pavlohrad.

On 27 October peaceful actions are scheduled in Kyiv, Pivdenoukrainsk, Mykolaiv, Uman, Uzhhorod, Korosten, Obukhiv, Krolevets, Ovruch, Korostyshiv, Kremenchuk, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ostroh and Chernivtsi.

The events are organized by the families of POWs from the Mariupol garrison. The rallies are often attended by Ukrainians who have been released from captivity.

• military
• prisoners

Before the full-scale invasion, Nataliia Havrylenko was a businesswoman in Kherson. She prepared for the impending war and, together with her husband, planned to join the Territorial Defense Forces. On February 24, 2022, the couple went to the military recruitment office. Soon the Kherson Territorial Defense unit, which Nataliia had joined, received weapons. But they served for only two days.

Nataliia recalls how the commander entered the room where the newly formed Territorial Defense members were gathered and ordered them to lay down their weapons and flee home across the fields. At that moment Nataliia, her husband and the other civilians realized that they would have to defend their hometown on their own. This is how the partisan movement in Kherson was born. Nataliia and her comrades managed to set up a hospital and establish cooperation with the special forces.

On July 7, 2022, Russians broke into Nataliia’s home, where she was staying with her daughter-in-law, son, and grandson. Nataliia was taken to a temporary detention center for several months. The woman says she was not tortured, but was subjected to a lie detector test and forced to give an interview to Russian propagandists. On November 1, 2022, Nataliia was released – without papers, money or a phone. Today, she continues to volunteer and support the Ukrainian army.

Nataliia Havrylenko is currently in Izium, Kharkiv oblast. She can be contacted for interviews both online and offline by prior arrangement.

For reference: Kherson was occupied by the Russians at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (on March 1, 2022). Ukrainian forces liberated the city from Russian troops on November 11, 2022. The occupiers continue to shell the city regularly.

• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• women
• Kherson

Olena Steblina, a displaced person from russian-occupied Mariupol, served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces for nine years before stepping down just prior to the onset of the all-out invasion. When war erupted, her husband, also in the military, stayed behind to defend the besieged city, while sending Olena and their children to safety in Cherkasy.

Even during the height of the pandemic, Olena pursued online training and began planning to open her own business. She made the difficult decision to evacuate, taking with her not only her family but also supplies for a future confectionery venture.

After her husband was captured by russian forces in Mariupol, Olena remained resilient. Defying the odds, she managed to launch her dream confectionery shop in Cherkasy. Today, as she and her two daughters navigate life in their new surroundings, her greatest wish is for her husband’s safe return from captivity.

• prisoners
• women
• Cherkasy

During russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church priests Bohdan Heleta and Ivan Levytskyi continued to serve their parish in occupied Berdiansk, located in the Zaporizhia region. On November 16, 2022, russian forces abducted them. The soldiers reportedly came directly to the church, offering Father Bohdan a chance to cooperate—an offer both priests declined. Soon after, the russians claimed they had allegedly discovered weapons inside the church.

Father Bohdan spent nine months imprisoned in Berdiansk before being transferred to a penal colony in Horlivka, within the occupied Donetsk region, where he endured another ten months. In total, he spent a grueling year and a half in captivity. Throughout his imprisonment, Father Bohdan endured harsh conditions, often sleeping on the floor and being subjected to the constant sounds of others being tortured by the russians. While in solitary confinement in Berdiansk, he was forced to listen to Soviet-era music playing through a speaker for hours on end, an experience that pushed him to the edge of sanity. The abuse only worsened in Horlivka.

On June 28, 2024, both Father Bohdan and Father Ivan were finally freed during a prisoner exchange.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Father Bohdan, either in person in Lviv or virtually, by prior agreement.

• occupation
• prisoners
• religion
• russian crimes
• Lviv