After the initial defense of Kyiv, Evhen Shibalov is transferred to the Eastern Front. As part of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Unit, the former aid worker is tasked with defending the Ukrainian defense line in Luhansk. The battles fought here are brutal and chaotic. On May 30, 2022, things go wrong. Outnumbered against Russian soldiers, Evhen and four fellow soldiers are forced to surrender. Thus began a seven-month ordeal in Russian captivity, where they were subjected to both physical and psychological torture, according to Evhen. His return to the front is part of Ukraine’s intense work to recruit more soldiers for the expected counter-offensive. Humiliation, violence and murder – The first thing they do is blindfold you. The eyes are covered around the clock for several days. That way, you don’t know who is questioning you, says Evhen. The prisoners received only enough food to survive, he says, and poor medical follow-up. In addition, they are said to have been subjected to violence and locked in dark rooms. – One of the prisoners, sick with what looked like an infection, received no help. The guards didn’t react until he lost his mind. But then it was too late. He died. After seven months in Russian captivity, Evhen had lost 15 kilos, he says. Photo: Privat After interviewing several released Ukrainian prisoners of war, the UN concludes that Russian forces are torturing soldiers in captivity. Beatings, electric shocks and shots and stabbings in the legs have been common methods, the UN reported in March this year. They have also received testimonies from prisoners who have been systematically malnourished. Almost three out of four prisoners have experienced torture and ill-treatment during detention in prisons, according to the UN. They describe the situation as “shocking”. – Former prisoners of war told our colleagues that they dreaded weekly trips to the shower which inevitably ended in beatings and humiliation, often with sexual undertones. The UN has documented that five prisoners of war died as a result of injuries sustained during torture. – We came back sick New Year’s Eve 2022 was the turning point for Evhen. He was among the 140 Ukrainian soldiers who were allowed to return during a planned prisoner exchange. But the time as a prisoner still weighs on him. – Those of us who came back came back mentally ill, says the soldier. In the video below, Evhen appears in front, wearing a winter jacket and black hat. The soldiers have recently been freed and are on their way back to Ukrainian-controlled territory. He does not remember sleeping the first nights at home in Kyiv. Nightmares, stress and anxiety attacks still follow him. Several times he has been outspoken and violent towards civilians, he says shamefully. He believes former prisoners of war should be rehabilitated for at least six months. After that, he believes they should be shielded from active combat if they don’t feel ready. – If we are deployed too early, I think we will pose a greater threat to our comrades. Few are diagnosed Trauma suffered in war comes in many forms, says psychotherapist Maxim Kolesnichenko. He works at the Kyiv Institute of Rehabilitation, as the center’s only psychotherapist, and evaluates up to 128 soldiers at a time. Psychotherapist Maxim Kolesnichenko decides whether soldiers are healthy enough to continue and fight. Kolesnichenko explains that most of his patients have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but that very few receive the diagnosis. Imagine that we have a building that stands on four pillars, begins Kolesnichenko: – If one pillar sways and three stand firm, or if three sway and one stands firm, it is a sign of PTSD – but it is not PTSD. If all four pillars fall and the house collapses, then it is an affliction. A good soldier When news talks to Evhen, he has just completed the latest medical evaluations. – Do they say you have to go back to the front? – The doctors concluded that I am “available for limited service”. That means I have to return to duty, possibly next week, but I can’t be used in combat operations right away. Medical evaluation has been completed and the car is packed and ready. Now Evhen is only waiting for the order. Photo: Private Although he is going back to the front, Evhen feels certain that he will not be placed on the front line straight away. He himself hopes to be able to have a support function as a driver, or with logistics. – But I will definitely be ordered back to my combat unit, which is now stationed in the east. The worst-case scenario he envisions is that he cannot provide good enough help to his brothers-in-arms. Photo: Private – Will you be able to find peace when you reunite with your brothers in arms? – I have no idea how I will react. I can’t even imagine the scenario where I return to the battlefield, replies Evhen. At the same time, he expresses a fear, both for how he will be able to react, but also for how he will function as a soldier. – I am very afraid that I may become a threat to my brothers in arms, instead of being a good friend and a good soldier.
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Ukraine prepares former prisoners of war for counter-offensive – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
