Ukrainian women's harrowing tales from Russian captivity: From psychological torment to physical abuse
9:56 AM EST, January 13, 2024
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, officially referred to in Putin's country as a "special military operation," has been ongoing for nearly eight years since 2014. On February 22, 2022, Russian forces intensified their attacks and advanced into Ukrainian territory from the Belarusian side.
A few days ago, the Russians set free 230 prisoners of war who were subjected to inhumane treatment. Several of these released individuals were women. Anton Herashchenko chose to share their stories on the X portal (previously Twitter) to raise global awareness about the brutal actions of Russian soldiers. The accounts of these captive Ukrainian women are heartbreaking.
'They hit my hands with a hammer'
One of those captured is a woman who serves in the Ukrainian army. She was held captive by the Russians for six and a half months and has chosen to share her horrifying experience.
"They sliced my hands. They threatened to break and then cut off my limbs. They shattered my hand and hit it with a hammer. As a result, a cyst developed in my wrist," confessed one of the freed women.
Another woman reported that she, along with other women, was confined in a single cell, which, under normal circumstances, should have housed only six people.
"We were 39 in total. We slept on the floor, packed like sardines. We were transferred between different cells. They beat us every morning and evening. I have varicose veins on my legs that turned from blue to black. I still have scars that haven't yet healed. I spoke to them in Ukrainian. I managed to look them straight in the eyes, but they couldn't return my gaze. Perhaps they were more scared of us?" she said during an interview.
They were subjected to physical abuse, broken limbs, and psychological torment.
The woman who was freed added that when leaving the cell, prisoners had to lower their heads so much that they nearly touched their knees. The floor was covered with slippery tiles, often leading to prisoners falling.
"If you fell during a beating, it was difficult to get up because they would hit you while you were down. And if you didn't manage to get up at all, they would continue to beat you. They did this to both men and women," she added.
The Ukrainian soldiers confessed that they were monitored and controlled daily. Every day, the captive women lived in fear of the unknown.
"The girls were stripped naked and led through a corridor full of men. These men were members of their special forces and various other uniformed individuals. The one positive aspect of this horrific experience was that they did not rape us. Thank God they did not rape us," she said, crying.
