Ukrainian prisoner recounts harrowing two years of Russian captivity
Roman, a senior checkpoint supervisor in Chornobyl, spent over two years in Russian captivity. At the end of May, he was released along with other prisoners in a prisoner exchange. The photos of the emaciated man shared on social media are simply shocking.
Roman and 74 other prisoners returned to Ukraine on May 31 as part of a prisoner-of-war exchange. Photos of Romans after over two years in Russian captivity are horrifying. He is very emaciated, with almost all of his bones protruding from under his skin.
The photos of Roman Wasylowicz Goriłyka were shared on the X platform (formerly Twitter) by representatives of the "I Want to Live" project.
The project was launched in September 2022 and aimed at Russian soldiers who voluntarily wish to surrender to the Ukrainian army. The program operates under the auspices of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Two years in Russian captivity - this is how it looks now
According to the "I Want to Live" project, Roman was the senior supervisor of Chornobyl's nuclear power plant checkpoint. "He and the other 168 National Guardsmen who guarded the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were literally taken hostage by the Russians and taken out of Ukraine via Belarus in March 2022," it was announced.
89 of them are still being held captive, and the Russian side uses them to exchange them for Russian servicemen captured in battle - informed representatives of the "I Want to Live" project.
Red Cross could not visit prisoners
Throughout Roman's captivity in Russia, he and the other 74 Ukrainian prisoners of war were never visited by observers from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
It is a conscious and purposeful policy of the Russian authorities to prevent observers from visiting prisoners of war in violation of the provisions of the Geneva Conventions. This is done specifically so that the International Red Cross cannot record how the Russian side treats prisoners of war - communicated the "I Want to Live" project.
Unlike the aggressor, Ukraine adheres to the Geneva Convention. The Russians who are captured are not held in high-security colonies with prisoners. On the other hand, Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia are treated inhumanely, although Russia is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions.
Prisoner exchange with Ukraine
At the end of May, for the first time since February, Russia exchanged 75 captured prisoners with Ukraine. The news was also confirmed by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Soldiers of the armed forces of Ukraine and the National Guard, border guards, four civilians – all of them are already in their native land," announced Zelensky on the social network Telegram.
The Russian authorities added that the United Arab Emirates mediated the prisoner exchange. At the start of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, both countries conducted over 50 prisoner exchanges. Recently, this process has been complicated by mutual accusations of shooting down a plane in January on Russian territory, which was transporting Ukrainians to the exchange point.
