Ukrainian officer describes horrors of Don Cossacks’ captivity

Vyacheslav Shvyriov, the division commander of the 13th battalion “Chernihiv-1” was in captivity for five months. The Don Cossacks held captives in the basement and beat, tortured and subjected them to psychological torture and humiliation almost every day.

This is stated in the article of the “Justice for Peace in Donbas” human rights coalition.

In late February 2015, Shvyriov was captured near Debaltseve, Donetsk region. He was leaving Debaltseve pocket with a group of other servicemen, when he knocked against the separatists’ checkpoint in the darkness. To divert attention from his group, he decided to go to the enemy himself. As he found out later, his group was able to escape thanks to his deed.

Shvyriov was captured by the Don Cossacks who brought him to the town of Shakhtarsk.

There, Shvyriov was questioned by a colonel of the Russian Security Service, who had openly showed his service certificate.

Later Shvyriov was transferred to the base of the Don Cossacks in Donetsk.

Vyacheslav was thrown in a makeshift cell, which had been a washroom previously. Then there were already ten Ukrainian servicemen, who had been caught in the area of Debaltseve.

There were no windows or furniture. There were only pallets which the prisoners were lying on and a bucket instead of a toilet. The light was not switched off (Shvyriov mentions he could not sleep without a light for a long time after he had been freed). Little air came through the cracks in the walls. The prisoners were taken out nowhere for months, and all their living space was limited to the four walls. Three times a day they were given food – a bag with porridge was simply thrown on a floor. A surveillance camera was above the front door. It was strictly forbidden to cross the border – to approach the front door. This was threatened to be punished with immediate execution.

The prisoners were often beaten in the face with gunstocks, beaten with pallets, stabbed. During his stay in captivity, the Cossacks broke him seven ribs and a collarbone, not counting the numerous bruises and abrasions.

February 22, Shvyriov along with several other prisoners was taken out to be shot. Such tortures as simulated shooting was often limited to simple intimidation (people were taken out and brought back) but the Cossacks put captives to the wall and fired over their heads.

The Cossacks also used such tortures as making captives almost sink in the pool and connecting wires to the genitals.

July 10, Vyacheslav Shvyriov was freed.

The fate of some people, who had been held in captivity with him, is still unknown.