I Was Captured, Beaten and Interrogated by Russia

An injured Ukrainian soldier on his year-long ordeal as a prisoner of war

- OLEKSANDR DIDUR

WHEN THE FULL-SCALE INVAsion of Ukraine took place in February 2022, I had already served as a soldier, participating in a combat mission near Mariupol as part of the 36th Marine Brigade.

What I remember most vividly from my time on the battlefield is the experience, professionalism and solidarity of my fellow soldiers. It was these qualities that would ultimately save my life.

On April 16, 2022, I was seriously wounded. Subsequently, I and others like me were taken prisoner by Russian forces during a critical breakthrough operation in Mariupol. Since the brigade was going to break through, I was unconscious and cannot describe what I felt at the time of the physical attack.

When Russian soldiers found me, they presumed I had fallen in action. However, when I began to show signs of life, doctors at the Azovstal steel plant provided whatever medical assistance they could.

I came to my senses already in captivity, but due to my heavy condition, I did not understand much. More or less everything became clear to me when I was brought to hospital No.15 in the city of Donetsk.