They went through the hell of Russian captivity. A horror that is difficult to even imagine, let alone experience. They don't want to stay silent any longer. Four Ukrainian women gave testimony to the enemy's brutality so that the world could hear their stories. May he never forget and settle accounts one day. The details are truly drastic.
Ludmila is 62 years old. She spent 3 years and 13 days in a Russian prison. – He said I was old, but the boys who would come to rest would benefit from any relaxation – recalls Lyudmiła Huseynowa.
Julia is 41 years old. She spent a year and a half in a Russian prison. – They had rubber batons. They started touching the body with them. Poke breasts. Put in… – said Julia Dworniczenko.
They were physically and mentally abused
Svetlana and Larisa were imprisoned after Russia attacked Ukraine – when their captors felt even more confident. – There were interrogation rooms above and below our cell. From there you could hear moaning and beating people, said Larisa Zubko.
They were physically and mentally abused. People were threatened with harming their loved ones. When they didn't suffer themselves, they saw the results of inflicting suffering on their fellow prisoners.
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– Tortured with a stun gun. She had burns on her legs and arms. Her hands were cuffed at the time. They covered her face with the clothes she was wearing. They poured 5-6 five-liter bottles of water into it – recalls Swietlana Szukajło.
They were terribly afraid of the “glass” – a meter by meter cell in which they were not allowed to sit, and the so-called “chair” – a personal search for mobile phones.
– One of the guards was putting on a dirty glove. Each of us had to sit down and she checked everyone's vaginas, said Ludmiła Huseynowa.
Ukrainian women who survived Russian captivity. Series of conversations “Survivors”TVN24
Why did they agree to be interviewed?
The Ukrainian women agreed to talk to a TVN24 GO reporter so that the world could learn about what the Russians are doing to the imprisoned Ukrainians. All parts of the “Survivors” series can be watched on TVN24 GO. Two psychotraumatologists always participated in each of these conversations to support the former prisoners.
– Each of our stories, publicized and passed on to people, is a nail in the coffin of our enemy. That's why I'm here and right now – said Svetlana Szukajło.
– We should realize that war is not only about action at the front and in the trenches, that war is the trauma and tragedy of ordinary people – comments Tomasz Słomczyński, reporter of the “TVN24.pl” website.
– Trauma does not go away after leaving prison. It takes time, specialists, and commitment to process trauma, notes Dr. Wioletta Rebecka, a psychotraumatologist from the “Polish Center For Torture Survivors” Foundation.
This will be a very long process. – I loved people. Now I don't like them. I can't trust anyone, Julia Dworniczenko admitted.