“They didn’t even let me die”

Oleksii Anulia was 28 when he was captured by the Russian army in March 2022. He described the beatings he endured in the 10 months that followed.

Oleksii’s injuries included broken bones, kidney hematomas and the forced removal of teeth and nails. He lost 40 kilos.

With no contact with his family and no hope of returning home, Oleksii’s pain and despair were overwhelming.

That day, Oleksii tried to hang himself in his cell, but a prison guard found him and subjected him to another beating.

“Widespread and systematic” torture

Torture of prisoners of war is considered a war crime under international law. The UN Office for Human Rights has continuously monitored the treatment of detainees on both sides.

Its most recent report, published in October, said 169 of 174 Ukrainian prisoners interviewed provided “detailed and consistent accounts of torture or ill-treatment” that was “pervasive at all stages of captivity and interrogation”.

The report also found that approximately 104 of the 205 Russian prisoners interviewed were subjected to “torture or ill-treatment by Ukrainian authorities during the initial stages of their captivity before reaching their official places of internment.”

But in almost all cases, the report says, such treatment “ceased when the prisoners reached official detention facilities, where conditions generally appeared to be in line with international standards.”

Danielle Bell, head of the UN monitoring mission, says one of the key differences between the two countries’ treatment of prisoners is that Russia’s torture of Ukrainian captives has been widespread and systematic.

Waiting in the dark

The number of Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia is unknown. Kiev says 3,400 people have so far been freed in prisoner exchanges, but many more are believed to remain in detention.

Families of Ukrainian POWs face a different kind of torture as they wait in the dark with no information about their loved ones.

Families gather daily in Kiev, demanding that the government do more to bring their loved ones home. They hold pictures and banners that say, “How much longer do they have to fight for their lives in hell?” and “They return tortured to death more often than alive.”

Among the demonstrators is Ilona, ​​the mother of a small son. She is waiting for her husband to come home. She holds a picture of him, saying, “My husband has been in captivity for two years.”

Olena is expecting her son. She found out he was in captivity after seeing his photo on social media in Russia.

Anastasia Shkeul kept a vigil in Kiev for more than 100 days. Her husband is also in captivity in Russia, and she hasn’t heard from him in two years.

They had been married six months before the invasion and had dreamed of traveling and having a child.

Former prisoners of war continue to fight

Many former POWs continue to face difficulties even after they return home. Oleksii underwent 18 surgeries to repair his tortured body and suffered from severe depression. He says he still can’t enjoy simple pleasures like eating and resting, and doesn’t know how to get back to normal.

Oleksii uses his experiences to help other ex-prisoners in their rehabilitation. He also supports the families of captives and deceased soldiers.

Even after their return, former POWs are still imprisoned by the effects of the trauma they experienced. Two and a half years later, Russia’s military invasion still places POWs and their families under an impossible burden.