Prisoners of war
On May 16, 2022, Azov fighter Serhii Alieksieievych laid down his weapon, removed his ammunition, and, along with a hundred fellow comrades-in-arms, left the Azovstal territory. In July 2022, an explosion occurred in the colony where the Mariupol garrison was held. Around fifty people were killed and more than a hundred injured—all of them Azov fighters. Serhii Alieksieievych survived but was wounded and remains in captivity.
26 July 2024
Today, July 16, 2024, Ukrainian human rights activist Maksym Butkevych turns 47. After the start of the Russian invasion, he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and was captured in June 2022, where he has been held for over two years. Today we are publishing the full text of his speech during the cassation hearing of his case by a Russian court, recorded by one of the attendees.
16 July 2024
Several thousand Ukrainian marines are in captivity. Most of them have been kept since the first months of the war. They are rarely exchanged, and have almost never been released lately. The marines are held compactly in several colonies. They are subjected to cruel treatment and illegal prosecution. Many marines are in critical condition, and some of them die in captivity.
27 June 2024
The number of deaths in Russian captivity has increased dramatically due to inhumane conditions of detention, tortures, beatings, lack of proper nutrition and medical care. This is particularly true for the defenders of Mariupol, including marines of the 36th brigade.
20 June 2024
Oleh and Vitaliy Lobovs, twins, both served in the Azov brigade. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, they defended Mariupol. In April 2022, the group, which included the brothers, made a breakthrough to Azovstal and came under fire. Vitaliy Lobov was killed, and Oleh was wounded, reached the metallurgical plant, and a month later, was taken prisoner.
11 June 2024
On the night of July 28 to 29, 2022, explosions occurred in a barrack within the Volnovakha Correctional Colony No. 120, more commonly known as Olenivka. There were nearly 200 Azov fighters inside. Over 50 of them were killed, and more than a hundred sustained severe wounds. Artem Hondiul was among them.
31 May 2024
The Media Initiative for Human Rights organized a discussion on missing soldiers. The discussion was attended by […]
29 May 2024
On the very first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the entire territory of the Luhansk region became a battlefield. At that time, the soldiers of the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, named after the Kish Otaman Kost Hordiienko, were stationed in the area of Triokhizbenka. A significant number of the brigade's soldiers were captured during that period, and most of them are still held by the Russians, with some considered missing in action. Since then, many families of the 57th Brigade soldiers have been struggling to find and bring back their loved ones. On the second anniversary of the fierce battles for the towns of Novotoshkivka and Toshkivka in Luhansk, MIHR tells the stories of several soldiers of this brigade who are missing in action.
10 May 2024
On Saturday, April 13, relatives of marines, medics, and all those who have been defending Mariupol for 86 days gathered on Independence Square in Kyiv. Wives, mothers, and children came to a peaceful rally in the center of the capital to remind them that more than 1,500 Mariupol defenders had been in captivity for two years.
14 April 2024
Oleksiy Shevchenko is a combat medic. On 4 April 2022, while in Mariupol at the Illich Plant, he was taken prisoner of war. MIHR spoke with his sister Kateryna, who is fighting for her brother’s release. She says that Oleksiy suffers from asthma but is not receiving proper medical care while in captivity.
29 March 2024