Themes by tag: prisoners

A new hub for the military freed from captivity has been inaugurated in Kyiv. The brainchild of Mariupol’s defenders, the “YOUkraine hub” serves as a haven for safe communication, mutual assistance, and rehabilitation, made possible by the YOUkraine charitable foundation.

Operating under the ethos of “our own for our own,” the hub recognizes the unique challenges faced by former prisoners of war upon their return. From physical rehabilitation to social reintegration amidst wartime conditions, along with legal and domestic matters, the hub aims to provide comprehensive support to these returning defenders.

Key services offered include legal and psychological aid, as well as social support tailored to the needs of the soldiers. 

Valeriia “Nava” Subotina, an Azovstal defender, journalist, and poet has been appointed as the director of the YOUkraine hub.

For reference: A recent prisoner exchange on February 8th, brought back to Ukraine 100 defenders being kept in Russian custody. Among those exchanged the majority were defenders of Azovstal. Since the full-scale invasion outbreak, a total of 3,135 Ukrainian defenders have been liberated from Russian captivity.

• prisoners
• Kyiv

The peaceful rallies under the “Don’t be silent. Captivity Kills!” slogan will take place across 14 cities of Ukraine to support Ukrainian prisoners of war. 

The gatherings are to be staged in Zaporizhia, Vinnytsia, and Krolevets (Sumy region) on February 3 and in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Ternopil, Poltava, Kremenchuk, Ovruch, Ivano-Frankivsk, Cherkasy, and Kovel on February 4. 

The events are held by the POWs from the ‘Mariupol’ garrison families. 

For reference: On February 1 this year, during yet another prisoner swap, Ukraine brought 207 Ukrainians back from Russian captivity. The defenders of Mariupol, Kherson, fighters from Snake Island, marines, and combat medics are among the released soldiers. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 2681 Ukrainian service members and 147 civilians have been returned home through exchanges. More than 8,000 Ukrainians, civilians, and military, are still being held captive by Russia. 

• military
• prisoners

On January 27, an exhibition titled “UKRAINE WAITS FOR ITS HEROES” dedicated to sharing the stories of Mariupol defenders will open in Dnipro. This first-ever exhibition recounts the heroic deeds of the soldiers of the ‘Mariupol’ garrison, aiming to draw attention to the abhorrent detention conditions of Ukrainian prisoners of war who have been held in enemy dungeons for over 1.5 years, will open its doors in Dnipro. 

At the exhibition opening, journalists will have the opportunity to talk to family members and friends of the prisoners of war.

For reference: Every week, families of POWs, those dead or missing and veterans who have survived the hell of captivity themselves gather at peaceful rallies all across Ukraine cities to remind and raise awareness of Ukrainian service members who are in Russian prisons.

The defense of Mariupol lasted for 86 days. A military command order has been given to Ukrainian defenders to “stop defending” the city, leave the Azovstal steel plant, and surrender to the enemy. On May 20, 2022, Mariupol came under Russian occupation.

• military
• prisoners
• Dnipro

Originally from Donetsk, Tetiana Tipakova lived in Berdiansk, Zaporizhia region (currently Russian-occupied), for about 30 years. Before Russia’s all-out invasion, she worked in a travel agency.

Since the full-blown war’s early days, Tetiana assembled peaceful protests in support of Ukraine in Berdiansk. Eventually, she was abducted by the Russian military for leading the actions. They put a bag over her head and took her to a colony, where she was interrogated for two days and beaten. Tetiana was subjected to electric shocks through her fingers and Russian captors mocked her execution. She was also forced to record an apology video. The prisoner was released, but the next day she was captured again. This time, she was held for 4 days and again had to endure torture.

After that, Tatiana decided to flee the city. She traveled through more than 20 checkpoints to get to the city of Zaporizhia. There she later founded the Ridna Stezhka NGO to support her fellow countrymen who were also forced out of the occupied city. They help people with food and medicine insecurity and organize leisure activities. They also help the military from the Berdiansk community. “Our heart is forever yellow and blue” is a tagline linked with the organization. 

There is an opportunity for journalists to hold offline and online interviews with Tetiana. 

• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women

The first days of russia’s full-scale enemy invasion caught 25-year-old Viktor Lakhno in Berdyansk, Zaporizhia region. The man joined the territorial defense forces, and together with his brothers in arms he patrolled nearby settlements. Once the territorial defense soldiers even managed to capture some of the occupiers. After Berdyansk was occupied by the russians, Viktor became a resistance fighter. And later he left for the Ukraine-controlled territory.

Viktor was one of the people who volunteered to take a helicopter ride to Mariupol surrounded by the russians. The Ukrainian military man managed to take several rides. He helped to deliver the cargo and pick up seriously wounded soldiers.

Starting on April 4, 2022, Viktor fought in Mariupol. Later, together with other defenders of the city, he ended up at the Azovstal plant. By order of the command, the soldier left Azovstal on May 17. He spent 4 months in the infamous colony in occupied Olenivka, Donetsk region. Later he was transferred to occupied Horlivka. In general, Victor spent 13 months in enemy captivity. The military returned home in June 2023.

For reference: the defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days. Following the order of the command, the Ukrainian defenders stopped the defense, left Azovstal and surrendered to the enemy. On May 20, 2022, russia occupied Mariupol. 

• military
• prisoners

The “I Want to Find” state project intended to work with citizens of the aggressor country, primarily with the families of Russian service members who went missing, died, or were taken prisoner in Ukraine. “I Want to Find” project services allow Russians with missing soldier relatives in Ukraine to check if they are being held as POWs or have been confirmed killed. 

Russian Ministry of Defense officials often refuse to recognize their own soldiers who were lucky enough to survive in Ukraine as prisoners of war. Their relatives and friends fail to get Russia authorities to include those POWs on the exchange list for prisoner swaps. 

By providing reliable information to the Russian servicemen’s families, the “I Want to Find” project will help to put more public pressure on their government. In particular, in the issues of prisoner-of-war exchanges, search, identification, and transfer of bodies from the war zone. This will allow Ukraine to repatriate more defenders.

• dead
• prisoners

The campaign under the slogan “Don’t be silent. Captivity Kills!” action will take place in Krolevets, Sumy Oblast, Pavlohrad, Dnipro Oblast, and Odesa on January 6. 

The gatherings to be staged in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk (Poltava region), Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region), Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ovruch (Zhytomyr region) are scheduled for January 7. 

The peaceful rally is held by families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. 

For reference: On January 3 this year, Ukraine brought 230 military and civilians back from Russian captivity. That’s the largest prisoner exchange to be carried out since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Among those who returned home, there were no representatives of the 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade, who defended Mariupol and surrendered in May 2022 on the orders of their command.

• prisoners

On January 5, Media Center Ukraine Ukrinform will host a briefing on the investigation of the terrorist attack in Olenivka “Crime without punishment.”

Participants:

• Anna Lobova, a wife of a soldier heavily wounded in the terrorist attack, “Olenivka Families Community” NGO;
• Mariia Alieksieievych, a wife of a soldier heavily wounded in the terrorist attack, “Olenivka Families Community” NGO;
• Tetiana Katrychenko, Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR) NGO;
• Andrii Yakovlev, Regional Center for Human Rights NGO;
• A representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War;
• A representative of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union

For reference: On the night of July 29, 2022, the russian federation committed a terrorist attack, setting off an explosion in the barracks of the penal colony in Olenivka with Ukrainian POWs kept inside. As a result, at least 50 Azovstal defenders were killed.

On January 5, 2023, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, stated that the Secretary-General had decided to disband the fact-finding mission regarding the 29 July 2022 incident at Olenivka.

Both the UN and the ICRC were denied access to the scene of the crime. Moreover, these organizations refrained from explicitly attributing responsibility to the russian federation for the lack of access. 

• prisoners
• Kyiv

On December 23, the exhibition “Fragility” will open in Kyiv. This exhibition is dedicated to prisoners of war and those who are waiting for their relatives and friends from captivity.

In the first days of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, defenders and workers of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant were under the russian occupation.

On March 31, 2022, the russians captured 169 Ukrainian National Guardsmen on the territory of the Chernobyl NPP and took them to Bryansk region of the russian federation. 108 of them still remain in captivity.

In order to draw attention to these prisoners of war and support the families who are waiting for the return of their loved ones, a gallery in the capital will display paintings, sculptures and digital works by more than 20 contemporary foreign and Ukrainian artists.

At the opening, everyone will be able to talk with relatives and friends of the Guardsmen — the defenders of the Chernobyl NPP — and watch a short documentary made by Babylon’13 film collective about the work of combat medics from Hospitallers battalion.

50 of the presented works will be available for purchase at an online auction. Funds will be directed to the Hospitallers battalion to support “Avstriika” hospital on wheels.

The event requires accreditation.

• casualties
• culture
• prisoners
• Kyiv

Oleh Horbachov, the lawyer of Stanislav Asieiev, a former prisoner of the “Insulation” concentration camp, said that during the court session on December 22, the defendant is to present the closing statement. Then the judges will go to the conference room to agree on the sentence. Stanislav Avsieiev’s defense attorney said that he would ask the court to let the journalists be present in the court when the verdict is announced.

For reference: Denys “Palych” Kulykovskyi is charged with five counts, including human trafficking and violation of the laws and customs of war. The prosecutor’s office demands 15 years behind bars for the accused man.

“Insulation” is the term referring to the territory of the former insulation material factory in Donetsk. In June 2014, it was captured by the occupiers and turned into a military base and a prison for the captives. “Insulation” prison was repeatedly called “Europe’s last concentration camp” in the media.

• casualties
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv