Back from the Brink. The untold trauma of Ukraine's POWs

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One marine infantry soldier described his nine-month-long nightmare of mental and physical torture. Despite this, the American newspaper reports, he was sent back to the front line after just a three-month period of rest and rehabilitation.

A foot soldier known as "Smiley" chose to return to service. Yet, his intensive combat training brought back traumatic memories. "I started having flashbacks and nightmares," he revealed. "I'd wake up after only two hours of sleep to find my sleeping bag soaked." He was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and received psychological care.

Experts and former prisoners express concern that Ukraine is only beginning to grasp the profound impact of traumas experienced by its war prisoners in Russian hands. They argue that soldiers are being rushed back into service too soon without proper care. Since 2022, nearly 3,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been freed, with more than 10,000 still detained. A UN expert described the conditions some have endured for up to two years as "horrifying."

Critics say the Ukrainian government's typical rehabilitation program, involving a two-month sanatorium stay followed by one month at home, falls short of addressing the severe traumas endured. The United Nations has detailed the widespread torture of war prisoners in Russia, including ruthless beatings, electric shocks, rape, and mock executions.

Many former prisoners continue to suffer symptoms like loss of consciousness and fainting from repeated head injuries. Ukraine's General Prosecutor, Andriy Kostin, noted in September that "around 90 percent of Ukrainian prisoners of war were subjected to torture, rape, threats of sexual violence, or other forms of mistreatment."

Due to an acute shortage of soldiers, prisoners return to the battlefield after three months of rest. A new mobilization law, effective mid-May, will finally offer them a choice: return to the front or stay home.

The impact of captivity is highlighted through various accounts, including a 36-year-old soldier who emerged severely underweight and with a spinal injury after nine months of captivity. Despite his condition, he was assigned to light duty as a guard following a two-month sanatorium stay. "I doubt I could even run 0.6 miles," he admitted.

Former detainees recount daily beatings and mental and physical torture during interrogations. Two other prisoners described how, in some Russian units, mornings started with a roll call that included continuous beating and torture.

"The violence often had a sexual nature," shared "Smiley". Prisoners were kicked, subjected to electric shocks, and humiliated. Another shared the threat of castration he faced during his ordeal.

Victims of mock executions and prisoners were forced to endure unimaginable horrors. "The screams were constant throughout the day," one soldier recalled, with brief moments of silence pierced by the distant sound of children playing, a stark contrast to the brutality faced inside.