Themes by tag: russian crimes

Oleksandr Hurzhov, a resident of Mariupol, signed a contract with Ukraine’s Defense Forces in 2020. He was in his hometown when russia launched its full-scale invasion. Within days, he was wounded and later taken captive. russian forces repeatedly transferred him between detention sites, subjected him to torture and deprived him of food. After three years in captivity, Hurzhov weighed just 45 kilograms.

On May 25, 2025, Hurzhov returned home as part of a prisoner exchange. He recalls being struck by the appearance of russian prisoners of war, who “looked like normal people,” while Ukrainians returned from russian captivity as “living skeletons.” One of the first comforts he remembers after the exchange was taking a hot shower. In the prison colony, detainees had to wash themselves in the toilet using a 1.5-liter bottle of water.

Even before his captivity, Hurzhov loved music and enjoyed singing karaoke. Since returning home, he says he has attended more concerts than during the rest of his life combined.

Oleksandr Hurzhov is available for interviews both online and in person in Kyiv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The presentation of the project “Made in russia. Delivered Into Captivity” will take place in Kyiv on May 22 with the participation of Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.

The project was developed by the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders in cooperation with the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR), and the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Registration is required to attend the event. The venue will be disclosed to accredited journalists.

• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On April 26, 2026, russian drones attacked the Odesa region and the port of Chornomorsk. The strike damaged the port’s infrastructure and reservoirs containing sunflower oil.

Despite efforts by specialists to prevent contamination, the oil leaked into the Black Sea. According to Ivan Rusiev, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Head of the Research Department at Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park, the contaminated area of the waters, sandy spit, and protected zone exceeds 10 hectares.

Oil-contaminated algae, shells, and jellyfish are washing ashore on local beaches.

Ivan Rusiev is available for interviews online or offline by prior arrangement.

• ecology
• russian crimes

At the start of the full-scale invasion, Dmytro Kanupier was serving in the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov” in Mariupol. In April 2022, he sustained two shrapnel wounds. Together with his comrades, the serviceman defended “Azovstal.” Ultimately, at the end of May 2022, the fighters were ordered to go into russian captivity.

Until September 26, 2022, Dmytro was held in a penal colony in Olenivka in the occupied part of Donetsk region, and later he was transferred to Taganrog in russia. There, according to the serviceman, prisoners were beaten and subjected to severe torture in order to obtain so-called confessions under duress to fabricated crimes. He was later sentenced to 29 years in a maximum-security penal colony for a war crime he did not commit.

Dmytro returned to Ukraine on October 18, 2024, during a prisoner exchange. After rehabilitation, he decided to return to military service, and recently published his book titled “Okraiets,” in which he describes in detail what he endured in captivity. The book serves as testimony to the crimes committed by russians against him over 886 days. The fighter says writing was extremely difficult, as he had to relive painful memories.

It is possible to meet Dmytro Kanupier online or in person by prior arrangement and coordination with his press service.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes

Vadym Letunov, 34, is a corporal serving with Ukraine’s 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade. In late February, heavy enemy shelling destroyed his position and killed one of his comrades. Barefoot, Letunov managed to reach the nearest surviving dugout — only to discover it was occupied by a russian soldier, a former prisoner mobilized to fight against Ukraine.

Because the occupier was armed, Letunov effectively became his captive. Realizing that survival depended on gaining the soldier’s trust, he spent two weeks carefully navigating the situation. According to Letunov, the russian soldier showed severe mood swings and repeatedly threatened to execute him.

Conditions inside the dugout were extreme. Food and water were nearly gone, and Ukrainian command had already informed Letunov’s mother that he was presumed dead.

Over time, Letunov convinced the russian soldier that their only chance of survival was to surrender to Ukrainian forces. When supplies finally ran out, the two moved toward Ukrainian positions.

To avoid being mistaken for the enemy by Ukrainian drones, Letunov made a sign displaying his call sign and brigade number. When a Ukrainian drone appeared overhead, he dropped to his knees beside the sign to identify himself.

Ukrainian troops first delivered food, water, and a radio by drone. Shortly afterward, an armored vehicle arrived, evacuating Letunov and taking the russian soldier into captivity. Letunov is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Odesa after losing a toe due to gangrene caused by the conditions in the dugout.

Vadym Letunov is available for interviews online or in person in Odesa by prior arrangement and with approval from his press officer.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Odesa

Olha and Serhii Hrianyk’s son, Oleksandr Hrianyk, joined the Azov Brigade shortly after graduating from university. From 2015, he served near Mariupol.

Later, Oleksandr joined a sniper unit known as “Znaky.” In early February 2022, he left military service and set off for the Carpathian Mountains, as he had always loved hiking.

However, when russia launched its full-scale invasion, he immediately returned to the military. He took part in battles in the Kyiv region and sought to rejoin his comrades in Mariupol. When Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) offered him the opportunity to join a special operation in the besieged city, he agreed immediately. Oleksandr was wounded on his first day in Mariupol but continued defending the city for another month.

He was killed when russian forces used white phosphorus munitions against the Azovstal steel plant, where Ukrainian defenders were holding out. His mother learned of his death through social media.

On the anniversary of his death, his father, together with Oleksandr’s friends, climbed Mount Hoverla. Around 150 people responded to the call to join the hike, leading his parents to realize that the initiative was needed, as it supports those who have lost loved ones in the war.

Today, families of fallen service members continue to join Olha and Serhii on these hikes.

Interviews with Serhii and Olha can be arranged online or in person upon request.

• dead
• military
• russian crimes

Vladyslav and Stanislav Chuhuienko are twin brothers from Zaporizhzhia. From an early age, Stanislav dreamed of becoming a soldier, and his brother supported his decision. Together, they entered the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy in Lviv and later joined the Ukrainian Marine Corps.

The Chuhuienko brothers fought in the Donetsk sector and were in Mariupol at the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion. During one of the missions, Vladyslav sustained shrapnel wounds to his legs. He was evacuated to a hospital and later transferred to the Illich Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, where the brigade command was stationed.

On April 4, 2022, Vladyslav and Stanislav were taken prisoner. At first, they were held together, but were later separated. In captivity, Vladyslav was subjected to torture, beatings, and electric shocks. He was returned to Ukraine during a prisoner exchange on August 14, 2025. While in captivity, he believed his brother had already returned home. Only after his release did he learn that Stanislav remains in russian captivity. Vladyslav now takes part in rallies supporting prisoners of war and missing persons and is waiting for the return of his closest person.

Vladyslav Chuhuienko can be contacted both online and in person in Lviv by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Lviv

Since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Franky and Сoen — two Dutch entrepreneurs — have been continuously providing humanitarian assistance across Ukraine. What began as a small initiative at the Polish border, where they distributed free French fries to refugees, has grown into a large-scale humanitarian effort spanning the country, including frontline areas.

Today, their work includes:

• distributing hundreds of thousands of hot meals;
• evacuating people and animals from frontline areas;
• delivering medical supplies, food, and humanitarian aid;
• providing financial support to vulnerable families;
• operating a shelter for internally displaced people in Dnipro (Holland House); a second Holland House is set to open in western Ukraine in the coming months, expanding support capacity for more than 100 additional people;
• organizing recovery trips for children affected by the war.

The volunteers are well known in the Netherlands not only for their work in Ukraine but also for how they communicate it. Through social media, documentaries, and national television, they bring the reality of the war directly into Dutch homes.

Franky and Сoen experienced the reality of war firsthand while dining at the Ria Pizza restaurant in Kramatorsk. On June 27, 2023, a russian missile strike hit the city center, killing 13 people and injuring 64 others, including the Dutch volunteers.

By prior arrangement, journalists can meet Franky and Сoen in Kyiv (April 15), Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and the Donbas region. Online interviews are also available.

• casualties
• food
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv
• evacuation

Before the full-scale invasion, 29-year-old Mykola Petrovskyi lived with his father and grandmother in Kherson. Mykola is disabled — after a car accident, part of his left foot was amputated and he now wears a prosthesis.

When Kherson was occupied by russian forces, Mykola became a volunteer, helping people in the city. One day, russian security forces abducted him from his home.

In September 2023, the so-called “Supreme Court of Crimea” sentenced Mykola Petrovskyi to 16 years in a maximum-security penal colony, falsely accusing him of “espionage”.

Letters from Mykola reveal that he was tortured in captivity, beaten, denied proper medical care, which is crucial for a person with a disability, and starved. According to the Center for Civil Liberties, Mykola’s health condition has deteriorated.

Read his full story here.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Mykola’s mother (online) and with his lawyer and human rights experts in Kyiv (in person).

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Halyna Hlobchasta is the head of the villages of Makiivka and Hrekivka in the Luhansk region. For more than 30 years, she worked as a teacher of mathematics and physics in her hometown of Makiivka. She later became the village head.

On March 3, 2022, russian forces occupied her village. Halyna categorically refused to cooperate with the occupiers. In mid-April of the same year, russian forces abducted her. She was interrogated and brutally tortured. In her yard, the occupiers found a hiding place with Ukrainian flags and blue-and-yellow ribbons. During one of the interrogations, they brought in her husband and ordered them to say goodbye.

Eventually, the couple was released, and they decided to flee the occupation. They managed to reach the Kharkiv region, where they met Ukrainian soldiers.

Journalists can arrange to speak with Halyna Hlobchasta both online and offline in Lviv, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• women
• Lviv