Thousands of Ukrainian POWs are still missing months after capture

“Memorial day or not, I am heartbroken every day that my only son is incarcerated.”

Ukrainian Natalia Lati hasn’t seen her son Dmytro, whom she affectionately calls “Dimka”, since the summer of 2022.

Dmytro was born into a military family and dreamed of military service from an early age. Dmytro had been serving in the Marine Corps in Mariupol, southern Ukraine, since 2018.

When the first invasion in February 2022 pushed Russian troops into the east and south of the country, the port city became a key target for Russian forces seeking to seize territory in the Donetsk region.

Fierce fighting for control of the city ensued, with Ukrainian forces surrounding and shelling it in what became known as the Siege of Mariupol. The bloody siege ended in late May 2022 after thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who had been holed up at the Azovstal steel mill for months surrendered and were captured, marking a crushing defeat for Ukraine. became.

Dmytro suffered injuries to his head and spine in Mariupol when the tank he was riding in came under heavy shelling. He was arrested in April 2022 as he tried to escape from the Ilych Steel Mill, the city’s other major steel mill, following a Russian siege.

Natalia told CNBC that she learned of her son’s capture in October 2022 from a released soldier who was in the same cell as Dmytro, and that she was grateful to know that her son was alive. But she hasn’t heard of him since.

“For me, his birthday is the most difficult. It brings back memories of his past happy life, how he grew up and how he was raised,” Natalia said in an email. told CNBC.

“It’s very difficult for me to be a mother and not be able to take my son home.”

Dmytro is just one of them. Estimated 4,000 Ukrainians They are still being held as prisoners of war in Russian detention facilities. About 2,000 of them are known in Ukraine as the “Defenders of Mariupol” and are considered heroes for their efforts and sacrifices in defending Mariupol before it fell to Russian forces.

Among those captured in Mariupol were about 700 fighters from the Azov Battalion, an important part of the defending forces that made a last stand at the Azovstar Iron Works.

They, like other prisoners of war, were taken to Russian POW camps both in occupied Ukraine and inside Russia.

Like the other hostages, Dmytro was first held in Olenivka prison in the Russian-occupied region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, but was later transferred to a pre-trial detention center in the Bryansk region of western Russia. He was then transferred to the Tula region south of Moscow. Since then, Natalia has not heard anything about her son’s health or well-being.

Many families of Ukrainian prisoners of war have no idea where their prisoners are, or even if they are still alive after a year and a half in captivity.

There have been successful prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine during the war, but these have stalled in recent days, with the last exchange expected to take place in August 2023.

Oleksandr Didur, a soldier from the 36th Independent Naval Infantry Brigade, was one of the last prisoners of war to be released in July 2023. Didur had been captured in Mariupol in May 2022 after his unit was severely injured by shelling at close range. Occupied by Russian tanks.

Didur suffered multiple shrapnel wounds and lost his left eye and three fingers on his right hand in the attack, his left hand shattered by flying debris and a tooth knocked out by the blast. Severely injured, Didur was rescued by his fellow soldiers, who risked their lives to drag him out of the shelled building and to safety.

Didur was initially treated by Ukrainian doctors who believed he would die from his injuries. Didur defied the odds and survived, but he was soon captured by the Russian army. Given his injury and pain, he barely remembers the experience. “It’s hard to talk about your initial feelings. [I had] “Because of the injury, it was difficult for me to understand where I was and who was around me,” he told CNBC.

Didur was first transferred to Olenivka prison and then to Horlivka prison, where he said he was subjected to physical and psychological abuse.

“Like everyone else, there was physical and moral abuse. Of course, there were some who were treated worse than me, but as a rule they [the Russians] “They didn’t differentiate between the injured and the healthy,” he said.

While in captivity, he said that he thought about being released every day, stating, “As a prisoner of war, every day you wait for exchange.” That day finally arrived in Didur in July 2023, but thousands of people remain captive.

In November, a commission set up by the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine stated: According to their analysis, 4,337 people remain prisoners of war (3,574 military and 763 civilians). The report noted that 1,953 people were released from Russian captivity.

Human rights groups say the number of prisoners could be much higher, and both Russia and Ukraine have remained mum about the exact number of prisoners. This includes those who voluntarily surrendered.

Both sides claim that they suffered abuses while in custody, ranging from degrading and humiliating treatment to torture and murder. The United Nations Observatory for Human Rights in Ukraine expressed concern about the treatment of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners, respectively. In the October report It said it had collected testimonies from survivors who described “unimaginable brutality” during their detention.

However, unlike Ukraine, Russia does not allow independent monitors full access to Ukrainian prisoners in detention and detention facilities.

The two countries also view the capture of prisoners of war as a means of bartering, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has praised any additions to Ukraine’s “exchange fund.”he said this before Some prisoner exchanges take place on the battlefield, in public view.

Nevertheless, families of prisoners of war hold regular protests in Ukraine, urging the Ukrainian government to remember their plight and continue efforts to free them. Groups such as “Heart of Azovstal” aim to raise the sensitive issue of prisoners of war on the public agenda, maintain close ties with families of prisoners of war, and support prisoners of war and former prisoners of war like Oleksandr Didur. ing.

Zelensky The spokesperson said on Tuesday that the recent slowdown in exchanges with Moscow was due to unspecified “reasons” on the Russian side.Reuters reported. President Zelenskiy said he hoped the exchange would resume and that Kiev was working on the exchange of “a sufficient number of our boys.”

Dmytro Rubinets, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, said in November that Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine had expressed their wishes. to be replaced But I commented by telegram “No one on the Russian side wants to bring them back.” Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Natalia Rati said Kiev had to continue efforts to bring her son and others home, adding: “The government needs to use all means to bring back our garrison.” [the] This process requires the involvement of international organizations, especially third countries. ”

Didur acknowledged that the process would be difficult. “My experience is that if Russia doesn’t want to hand over prisoners, it’s difficult to force them to hand over prisoners. But I hope the government will actively participate, because there are still many Because there are our citizens, there are seriously injured and sick women, women who urgently need help,” he said.

As the war intensifies into its second winter, Natalia faces another Christmas without knowing her son’s whereabouts or fate. Reflecting on the ongoing conflict, Natalia said, “War is always sadness and death.”

The road to recovery continues for Didur. He is currently in hospital awaiting further treatment for his eye and several surgeries on his remaining hand to restore function. Didur also has his sights set on ultimately rebuilding Ukraine.

“I want the war to end quickly and the country to be restored, which I also want to be a part of, and I hope my children can live in a free Ukraine instead of being forced to flee.” ” he said.