INTERVIEWS

Former hostages told about cruel tortures of Russian proxies

The Security Service of Ukraine released another 43 statements from citizens who were imprisoned by Russian proxies in eastern Ukraine.

It is noted that there are nearly 400 of such statements in the archive of the special services, and in all of them it is told about the physical violence and mockery of the Russian military over the Ukrainians.



The main feature of the latest published testimonies is that most were documented by law enforcers from Ukrainian soldiers who were captured during the Ilovaiskiy kettle.
The employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Petro, who was held hostage by militants for 23 days: “… In August 2014 my battalion was relocated to a permanent place of service in the city of Ilovaisk, Donetsk region.” During ten days we “cleaned” the territory from terrorists, guarded the checkpoints. In the 20’s, by the order of the command our unit tried to leave Ilovaisk using the so-called “green corridor”, which was allegedly provided by the representatives of the Russian Armed Forces for the pull-out of Ukrainian troops, but suddenly we were fired from both sides of the road by the heavy artillery of Russian Armed Forces. My vehicle was destroyed by the enemy shot and I was wounded. Then the troops of the airborne troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with the support of Russian tanks and armored troop-carriers started to attack. Many of us were killed, some of the Ukrainian soldiers were taken as prisoners by Russians, but me and a few other servicemen managed to hide in the forest. In the morning of the next day we went to the road where the civilian car was stopped. The driver agreed to take us to Starobeshevo town to the hospital, but as a result the car was stopped by the militants of the so-called “DPR” (Donetsk People’s Republic). Me and my comrades were severely beaten, they took our documents, weapons and ammunition, as well as money and valuables, after that we were taken to an unknown destination. At some roadblock we were shut down in the basement of the former restaurant. It was a room of about 8 square meters, there were no conditions for sleeping, we sat on a concrete floor with bound hands. We were forbidden to go to the toilet, we did not eat or drink. Almost the entire time (three days), I was beaten and bullied, tortured: when I lost consciousness, the militants were pouring water, and then the torture continued. Then I was transported to Donetsk, kept in the former archives of the SBU in the Donetsk region, where the terrorists’ prison was located. In captivity I was repeatedly interrogated, and the “investigator of the DPR” constantly stressed that he would shoot at any suitable opportunity. During the interrogation I was constantly beaten, punched, kicked and beaten with clubs. They stand on my wounded leg, causing an unbearable pain. At the same time during all the time in captivity, I have never received medical treatment … “.
A serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy, who was in captivity for 47 days: “… In August 2014, as part of my military unit, I arrived in the town of Ilovaisk, where military engagements with pro-Russian terrorists had already been held. In August 29, 2014 at about 10:00 our unit was going to leave the Ilovaisk area along the “green corridor”. When we moved the column towards Starobeshevo, we were fired from two sides by military units of the Russian Armed Forces. At that moment I was in a military truck, but after one of the explosions, the truck was knocked down by a shock wave and I was wounded in the right leg. Those of us who survived, independently reached a settlement where we stayed for a few days. I was hidden by the locals (an elderly man and a woman) who also gave me the first aid. However, on September 3, the militants of the so-called DPR came to the house on the four cars, from which I was taken. I was hit with a rifle butt to the head and taken to the former investigative isolator of the militia department in the town of Ilovaisk. Almost every day, at night, an unknown armed men came to me, beat, tried to strangle. Sometimes they frightened that they would kill me, shooting at the same time right near my ear. In addition, one of the ways of psychological pressure was that Russian mercenaries for the sake of their own entertainment made the prisoners jump with the words “If you are not jumping, you are a moskal…”.
Maksim, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who spent 26 days in captivity with militants: “…I was taken prisoner during the departure of our troops from Ilovaisk. Me and my comrades were captured by servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces. This was a regular Russian army with a large number of tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles and artillery. The Russians put us in tented military trucks and in the morning they first taken us to the territory of the Russian Federation. I saw a highway through the gap of the car along which, apart from us, there were civil vehicles with Russian numbers were riding, as well as Russian police cars. Also all road signs was in Russian language. In the evening of the same day, we were returned to Ukraine and transported to the town of Snezhnoe, Donetsk region, which was controlled by the terrorists of the so-called DPR. I was kept in the garage of the local police station for 26 days, which also housed the militants’ headquarters. The prisoners were constantly subjected to measures of physical pressure and psychological pressure. they beat us in various ways, humiliated in various ways, constantly insulted, and starved . One of the hostages was handcuffed on the street and forbidden to feed, he died right in front of our eyes … “.
The testimony of local residents and volunteers who were captured by militants was also made public. Volunteer Irina, was in captivity for 101 day: “… At the end of June 2014 our group of volunteers left for Zelenopolye village of Lugansk region. On the Kharkiv – Dolzhansky road near the village of Rovenki we were detained by the so-called “Russian Cossacks”, after that we were taken to the territory of the local feed mill, where we were divided: men into one room, and me to another. In the night I was taken to the street where they imitated my execution. This night I heard how in the next room the “Cossacks” mocked my friends. In the morning the next day they brought me phone and told me that I should call my relatives and put forward the demands of the terrorists, namely, to draw off Ukrainian troops from the Russian border. During all this they held knife near my throat. Then we were transported to the so-called “military commandant’s office of the DPR” in Anthracite town, located in the former premises of the Party of Regions. There they again began to brutalize me, beat me with hands, feet and a club. When I spoke in Ukrainian, they beat me in the head. They handcuffed us and chained us to the railing of the car. After that they took us to Gorlovka, namely to the headquarters one of the leaders of terrorists with the call sign “Bes” (form rus. – “demon”). There me and my colleagues were thrown into the basement, where there were three corpses and two other living people: Artem Kh. And Oleg (I do not remember the surname), who was shot right in front of our eyes few days later. At night, we were taken in turn for interrogation, during which torture was used: pulled our toes with pliers, wrapped the head with a duct tape, hammered on the knees, drilled the body, and took out the eyes with a knife. A few days later they let me go, while the terrorists said that it was “a gift to you from the Bes” on the occasion of awarding him the title of “Major General” by the Russians … “.
A taxi driver named Sergei, was captured by militants for 123 days: “… I worked in a taxi service and on August 20, 2014 I received an order from one of the residents of Lugansk for the transportation of his family from the ATO area. When we passed through Zorinsk, I was stopped by the rebels at the checkpoint of the DPR. After a short conversation, they accused me of allegedly being a scout of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and “working for cover,” then severely beaten up and taken to some terrorist base. They continued to interrogate and force me to confess that I carry out reconnaissance missions. I was trying to explain that I work in a taxi and it’s easy to check, but I was beaten again and again. After a while I was transported to another place in the forest where I was tied to a tree and again badly beaten. I hung tied to a tree all day and saw a shed where more people was captured. During four months I was repeatedly transported to different places, but everywhere I was beaten and intimidated by execution. They broke me several ribs, fingers on my hands, I periodically fainted, but this did not stop the executioners. The last place of my detention was the basement of the former Security Service of Ukraine administration in the Donetsk region, which the militants turned into a real factory of death”.

EMPR

Image credits:
Source: styler.rbc.ua.
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Zara Hanova

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  • True stories of brutal torture and treachery by hybrid Russian proxys. Killing civillian as well as surrendering soldiers. Human rights atrocities noted and investigated by international courts will hunt down these killers.

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Zara Hanova
Tags: donbasrussia ukraine war
7 years ago

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