civilian hostages

Three stories of women taken by Russians as civilian hostages from Kherson
Articles - 05 November 2023

Three stories of women taken by Russians as civilian hostages from Kherson

Olha and Svitlana told ZMINA about how Russian occupying forces took prisoners, hastily prepared new cells for them, and held civilian hostages on the occupied left bank of the Kherson region

A typical day in a Russian prison (a diary of a civilian hostage)
Articles - 08 September 2023

A typical day in a Russian prison (a diary of a civilian hostage)

Russia holds prisoners of war and civilians in an extensive network of prisons inside the country and the occupied territories of Ukraine.  The conditions of detention there typically do not meet even basic human rights standards: prisoners are systematically subjected to torture, beatings, and physical violence. They are not provided with proper medical care, are […]

A story of an elderly man from Balakliya on a 12-day hunger strike in Russian captivity
Articles - 18 August 2023

A story of an elderly man from Balakliya on a 12-day hunger strike in Russian captivity

Russian occupying forces took 73-year-old Viktor Illinsky from his home in Balakliya, Kharkiv region, in early August 2022. They wrapped a jacket around his head, put him in a military jeep, and drove him to the local police station. He was held with other civilian hostages, including another man in his 70s, in a cramped […]

Three stories about the abuse and inhumane conditions for Ukrainian women prisoners
Articles - 04 August 2023

Three stories about the abuse and inhumane conditions for Ukrainian women prisoners

During the war, Russian occupying forces abducted and held in prisons not only Ukrainian men but also women, regardless of age and status. Women are also subjected to torture, intimidation, and horrific conditions. They are accused of terrorism, adjusting fire, and collaborating with the Ukrainian armed forces. According to the Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily […]

Mariupol policewoman Mariana Chechelyuk’s health has deteriorated significantly over the year of captivity
News - 18 July 2023

Mariupol policewoman Mariana Chechelyuk’s health has deteriorated significantly over the year of captivity

The health of Mariana Chechelyuk, a 22-year-old investigator from besieged Mariupol in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, whom the Russians took prisoner during the evacuation from Azovstal, has deteriorated significantly despite the guarantees of the United Nations and the Red Cross. For a year, the occupiers transported the woman from one prison to another, subjected […]