“Treatment in the prison was very harsh – someone was beaten with a stick on the kidneys, others were kicked on their knees”

A hundred and eight days of imprisonment in Olenivka. This is the time Serhiy Lin spent in russian captivity, being illegally held prisoner for helping the residents of the besieged Mariupol.

The man and his family left the city at the beginning of the armed hostilities, but he just could not sit idly by and decided that he would engage in the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Mariupol and the evacuation of people.

By that time, Mariupol turned into real hell. I just lay on the couch doing nothing for almost a month. I was in a sort of amoebic existence period. And when the first [corridor] opened… I read and monitored the news.

As soon as I realized that there was a “corridor” to Mariupol, I made a firm decision that I would engage in rescuing, would be doing something for the benefit of our city, for the benefit of people who needed help.

I found out that there were some particular volunteer groups that evacuated people, and so I made up my mind. Naturally, I disclosed my decision to my family. My cousin from Chisinau phoned me and said

“Serhiy, do you understand that this is a war and that they can kill you?

Take your family and come to Moldova. Do you understand that you can be killed and will leave your family without a breadwinner?” I said, “I understand this but I can’t do anything about it as this goes at the call of my heart. I am still going to engage in the evacuation of people.” My family approved my decision with understanding. They said, “Since you decided this, it is a good cause, certainly.”  That is, they let me go and on 20 March I came to Zaporizhzhia.

I called my friend in Zaporizhzhia and asked for his advice, as a local resident, as to where I could stay for the night so that the next day, in the morning, I could start doing something. Since I arrived in the evening. He asked me, “Why have you come?” I said, “I have decided to engage in some volunteering activity, in evacuating people from Mariupol.” He replied, “Oh, you are the person I need.” I asked, “What do you mean?” He said, “I have some acquaintances who are doing this and are looking for a driver. Would you be ready to get behind a steering wheel?” I replied, “I am definitely ready.”

And it so happened that, basically, having come to the hotel, I realized that I was in a team, that is, with those people who would provide me with a mini-bus, and I would start the evacuations. We re-registered the vehicle on 21 March and, basically, the next day, on 22 March, they told me the address where I was supposed to get the vehicle loaded with humanitarian cargo. They explained to me the entire workflow of the volunteer movement. They told me that I would go there in a convoy and on the way back, naturally, I would be going on my own, without a convoy.

I took the first trip to Mariupol. At that moment, I probably did not feel any fear. I didn’t have a feeling of fear. I had a clear understanding that I was going to save people’s lives.

That’s it. That was the only thought in my mind, basically. There was nothing else. That is, I was obsessed with it. I doubt anyone could stop me at that moment. I came to Mariupol. They gave me an exact address for unloading the cargo, taking into account the situation with hostilities that were taking place there. I came there at five or soon after five o’clock in the evening.

At that time, on 22 March, the curfew started at 18:00. Well, since it was March, it was getting dark at six o’clock in the evening in Mariupol. Yes, it was already dark there... At the entrance to the city, two military men with submachine guns waved me to stop. I stopped and they said, “Our car broke down. Take us to where we are stationed.” They were the so-called “DPR” [unrecognized Donetsk People’s Republic] soldiers. And I gave them a ride. However, that was probably still a good development for me. Why? Because there was curfew in the city at that time and I could be stopped anywhere.

Was it easier for you to drive with them?

Yes, I was let through there. There were some internal checkpoints we passed through. They were designated by their people.

What part of the city was it in?

Well, I picked them up near Port City, and they were stationed on Kazantseva Street, where the central market is, where a five-storey building is located amid the private houses area. We were warned to turn off our headlights and drive in the dark because a sniper was on the job. So I was driving with the headlights off and realized that there were no [clear] roads in the dark city.

There were some broken wires, cords, fragments, pieces of glass and anything else on the roads, and we were sneaking forward like blind kittens.

That is, I literally looked under my feet so as not to take a wrong turn anywhere, so that, God forbid, I would not have my wheel tyres punctured. Thank God, I figured out where to go and brought them there. They said, “We won’t let you go anywhere until the morning. You are going to stay with us. We will give you a place where to sleep.” They fed me. In fact, they gave me some food and a place where to sleep. I said, “My vehicle is fully loaded with cargo.” But I did not have to worry.

They said, “You have crosses [cross signs] on your vehicle, so don’t worry. We won’t touch you.”

So everything seemed to be fine with the vehicle. I had some meal and went to bed. I woke up in the morning and, basically, said goodbye to them. I thanked them for the reception, for the shelter, so to speak, and drove off to the address for unloading the humanitarian aid. The first destination for unloading the humanitarian aid was at the Table and Chair store in Mariupol. So I parked there, right behind a nine-storey building. Well, the first impression...

Surely, when people learned that I came from the “main land” and as people were staying there unaware of the developments, naturally, there were a lot of questions to me.

Did people ask you to pick them up? For sure, they did. “Can you evacuate us?” I said, “Yes.” They asked me how much would it cost. I said, “It won’t cost you anything, it’s absolutely free.” People were looking at me hardly believing it, “Really?” I said, “Don’t worry, it’s free. We are volunteers.” That is, we delivered the humanitarian aid and evacuated people for free. People’s relatives, who had left Mariupol earlier, gave our organizers exact addresses where we could pick up some people for evacuation if that was possible. Sometimes people contacted their relatives, informing them that they were ready to be evacuated. They gave their addresses so that I could call in when possible. I had a list of addresses where I needed to go but it was not a firm commitment.

They told me right away, “If it works out for you, please pass by. If it doesn’t work out, evacuate any other people who are ready to be evacuated from there.” That is why I [almost] did not have targeted evacuations of people from exact addresses, since I clearly understood that if a woman came up to me and said, “Evacuate us, please. I have a child with a head injury.” Well, of course, there were no questions. I said, “Of course, I’m unloading the humanitarian aid now. Wait a bit and I’ll come and pick you up.” My first evacuation was a group of 15 people. Why? Because I had some seriously ill people. My second evacuation trip was to take out 12 people.

Well, it was because I picked up people who... I knew that if I don’t take them out, they would simply die. I mean, I focused on those who needed first aid.

Well, from my first trip, I had four people whom the ambulance picked up immediately at the Epicentre [hypermarket]. That is, they did not even get inside the market. That is, we came up to the ambulance and they were taken away immediately. Therefore, my priority was those who really needed urgent evacuation. With every next trip, I felt that some screws were tightened more and more, so to speak.

I made three trips there, and the third trip was only half completed. Why? Because having arrived in the evening… Well, a trip normally took me two days, in fact. That is, one day to go there and drive back in the evening. I spent the night in Mariupol and handed out the humanitarian aid in the morning. Then I picked up some people for evacuation and left the area. Basically, in the evening, I was already here. The second trip… The only thing I didn’t manage to do on time when in Pology, I didn’t manage to pass through before the curfew. I passed through all the checkpoints. I had only one russian checkpoint left in Pology.

They said, “If you go there, they will shoot without warning, so park your vehicle and wait until the morning.

Moreover, you have people on board.” Indeed, I had some kids and some seriously ill patients with me. I had an old woman who was almost unable to walk. It took her an hour and a half to go downstairs from the fifth floor. Well, I realized that this was actually a creepy situation. I said, “But how? Well, give us some escort. Look at these people, at these kids.” That is, they had to stay on the bus until the morning. Well, it was quite chilly outside then. It was March, yes. That March was very cold. Well, yet God was on our side. God turned to us. We parked the bus and some people came up to us and just said, “Let’s do it this way: move your bus there and then your women can go to that house and men can go to that house.” That is, some people saw that we were stopped, they came up to us and provided us with a place for an overnight stay.

Were they some ordinary people?

Yes, they were some ordinary people, Ukrainians, who saw that the bus stopped there in fact. They probably had similar cases previously, yet they still realized that we were stopped for the night there. We parked the bus; they sheltered us, fed us, and bedded us. Every person to whom I, as one might say, not only saved his or her life, but whom I probably gave life for the future, since no one knows what would have happened if they had stayed there… I gave them the opportunity, a chance to continue their lives in safety and with the prospects of the future. Of course, I know each of them. Liza was especially touching for me.

I was touched by the fact that when we came to Epicentre hypermarket in Zaporizhzhia, she asked someone to find me and tell me to see her. I came up to her. She said, “Serhiy, thank you so much.” Well, in such cases, my eyes actually well up with tears. That is when I just… I came to an address – there was an evacuation address... A woman approached me together with her daughter and said,

“Serhiy, I beg you! I can beg you on my knees if you want! Take us out of here, please.”

I said, “I don’t know now if I will have free seats. Let me see. But I promise you that I will definitely come to pick you up on my next trip.” Well, God was on our side again – it turned out that I had free seats on the bus and so I specifically returned for them to the same address. By the way, it was the same place from where I evacuated Liza. That is, I went to pick somebody up but they refused to go. I understood that I did not have time to drive around and so I returned to the same address for them. I cannot describe what feelings those people had… She burst into tears. She burst into tears right there, she did not believe it. She asked, “Are you really going to take us with you? Have you come back for us?” I said, “Yes, get ready.” She came to Epicentre store, she hugged me, burst into tears and said:

“Thank you so much, Serhiy. We did not believe until the last that you would come back for us.”

I said, “I could not but return to pick you up. I promised and I came back for you.” I said, “Luckily, it so happened that I returned on this very day and you did not have to spend the night under those bombs and explosions.” That is, they... Well, what else can I say here! During my third trip, since we were delayed and spent the night on the road, I went off the schedule. I mean, I did not make it to Zaporizhzhia.

Where did you spend the night?

In Pology, at those people’s place. I then made my second attempt. At 10 o’clock in the morning, I came to Zaporizhzhia and brought people there. I understood that if I stay for a day, this day would be lost and I won’t be able to head off on Monday. As far as I remember, it was on Sunday. I said, “I am going to have the humanitarian aid loaded today and I will depart today so as not to fall out of the schedule...” So I came on the same day, had the humanitarian aid loaded into the bus and left for Mariupol again. I mean, I did not stay to have some rest from the road. I left immediately that day. I don’t know if the fact that my schedule was upset was a sign for me or not, but I decided and I went off. I had the humanitarian aid loaded but there were still some problems – there was curfew in Zaporizhzhia on Sunday. Yes, I was stopped. There were two more buses going with us. We were stopped at the exit [from the city] and were not let out. Everything was against us going… They did not let us out. We got in touch with the administration of the volunteer organization by phone in order to solve the problem and told them that we were not let out. They made a phone call and sorted it out. Our two buses were let go. That was probably another sign, a sign that we should not go there. I did not notice these signs then. I analysed them only later.

So I came to Mariupol on the same day. I drove into the city as usual, stopped for the night and in the morning, I went to the unloading point. It was Gratsiya store on Pylypa Orlyka Street. I started to hand out the humanitarian aid and distributed almost half of the amount I had in the vehicle. Some military came up to me, “Who is the driver?” I said that it was me. “Take all your humanitarian aid out. You are going with us.”

Was that territory already controlled by russia at that time?

No, by the so-called “DPR” soldiers. In fact, there were checkpoints inside Mariupol everywhere. Patrolling was made by the “DPR” military. Russia probably had a different mission. As, having analysed it carefully in all the details, I understood that, basically, internal organizational, controlling authorities – all these bodies were managed by the “DPR”. So those who came up to me were their people. “Take your cargo out!” I said, “Okay, now.” And I continued to hand out the humanitarian aid to people, thinking that, well, I’ll unload it now, I’ll hand it out and we’ll go. They came up to me, “Why are you dragging your feet there? Come on, unload all of it, as we said.”

I replied, “You see, if I just start to take it out from the bus, chaos will follow. People will just start grabbing whoever takes what, as this is quite natural if it is just thrown or taken out. People have nothing to eat, so the instinct of self-preservation, self-survival…

It pushes people to take it all for themselves.” I said, “It will just be a mess of a crowd, up to a punchfest. But why?” They said, “We have arranged everything. There are people who will distribute it. So, unload it nearby.” I unloaded all the remaining humanitarian aid right there on the asphalt, on the parking lot near Gratsiya store.

They said, “And now, follow the car (it was a passenger car), and don’t turn anywhere, just follow us.” I left the parking lot and we drove off to the district police station in Soniashnyi micro-district, a little lower, downhill. Nine-storey buildings were on the right side. I came in there, went up to the first floor and noticed that a couple of men were already standing there with their backs to the wall, their hands behind their backs. “Stand by!” Well, I joined them.

And then I was invited for an interrogation: “What are you doing here? Give me your phone now.” Well, I gave them my phone. “What are you doing here?” Well, I said that I brought in some humanitarian aid and evacuated some people. And the first question was, “To the cell?” I did not understand it. I asked, “Sorry, what do you mean?” He repeated, “To the cell?” I said, “I don’t understand.” He said, “Well, I see.” And after that, he started to write a protocol.

Basically, analysing it later, I realized that with these two questions he sort of asked me, “How are we going to solve your problem?” To the cell or... setting me free. That is, I could pay it off and avoid getting into a prison cell, and my problem would be sorted out.

Well, I was in this situation for the first time and that is why, naturally, I did not guess this hint and the protocol was filed. He took my phone and began to check what I had there. Surely, he found some photos, some photographs of people that we took for reporting, as confirmation that we hand out the humanitarian aid for free and not sell it. He saw those photos, “Why do you take pictures of people?” Well, I told him honestly and openly. I explained that this was needed for reporting, to confirm that I do not sell this humanitarian aid, that it is distributed for free. He looked again and decided that it sounded logical.

Then he continued to fill in everything, the whole profile: how many trips I made, where exactly I travelled, and where the cargo was loaded into the vehicle. Well, after that I was asked to put my signature. So I signed it and we were taken to the cell. Well, the cell was a small detention room and each of us stood there on one leg in order to fit in, because, as I understand it, they detained quite many people there. Well, at some point I noticed that people kept coming in there and we started to squeeze in. I thought about how we were going to sleep there.

Well, on the same day, when we were packed into that cell, they started taking us out one by one, wrapping our eyes with tape, pulling down our hats, and tying our hands behind our backs.

Our hands were free. Oh, no, our hands were behind our backs, and they also wrapped them with tape and began to take us out one by one, twisting our hands upwards behind us. That is, we walked like this, looking down to the ground, groping our way. They led us by the arms. They took us into a jail truck and drove us all to an unknown destination. Naturally, we did not see or hear anything.

Then, we came to our destination. As it turned out, we were brought to Starobesheve. Well, when we settled in the cell, we started to ask each other: who is who? What? Why? And how? Basically, that is when we started getting acquainted with each other, volunteers with other volunteers who also made their trips and who were detained too. We stayed in Starobesheve for one day. We spent the night there, which was also quite difficult because there were so many of us there. We tried to sleep there...

Was there any food?

Well, what shall I say? Our food was Mivina instant noodles, one pack per two persons. They gave it to be eaten dry, without any water, without cooking anything, in a dry form. We asked for some water but they gave us only one bottle of water for 30 people. Well, everyone sipped it just once and we were still thankful even for that. One day later, we were taken into the bus again.

And when we were on this bus, when we were driving and then stopped, as they let the [military] column pass, someone outside then asked, “Who do you have on board?” And the driver said, “Prisoners of war.” Then his interlocutor said, “Well, give us a couple.” He answered, “I cannot do this. They are on the roster and I am accountable for them.” That’s probably when we felt really scared because we understood that it was the war, that we were called “prisoners of war”, while we were not prisoners of war.

And when they say “well, give us a couple”, you basically understand that your life is no longer worth anything.

Well, a couple... well, it sounds like “I’d like a couple of eggs, a couple of dozen”, and that’s it. Then they brought us to Donetsk, to UBOP [former Department for Organized Crime Control], and we stayed in UBOP, in Donetsk, for two days.

Did they beat you there?

No, they did not beat me. Others were subject to some [violence]. Well, they overcame their pain threshold, in particular. One of the victims was the driver with whom I was traveling. It so happened that he and I were traveling together on that journey under convoy, and when in Donetsk, he had it the hard way. And I did not even know what happened to him afterwards because we were taken apart there, and I only... He called me back a couple of days ago, when I already was... He is alive. He told me his story. Well, as I understand, we got off easily, unlike him. That is, he made a tour around all the prisons, and he was tortured.

They tortured him with electric current. Well, that was a normal practice for them... They threatened with it and they applied it too. Because in the course of our captivity, when we were already in prison, naturally, we crossed our paths with various people and everyone shared his own story... So we basically understood that this was a normal practice. That is, for them, it was like having a cup of coffee or having a chat. They did not beat me there. Speaking about food... We got some food paying our own money for it, but paying a half, so to speak. With our own money.

Where did you get the money from?

Well, we... We came there with our wallets.

Did they not take away everything you had with you? Why didn’t they take it away?

They took away our personal stuff little by little, gradually. When in Starobesheve, they took something from me. In Starobesheve, an inventory of what I had was made. And the next day, when they returned my belongings, I said, “Sorry, but I had a hundred US bucks banknote with me.” He asked, “And when were you brought here?” I said, “Yesterday.” He said, “Well…” I replied, “I see now”. The same happened to us later too. Notably, when in Donetsk, we asked to buy us some food and water. I said that we were ready to pay for it with our own money. I told them to take our wallets. Surely, they took [much more] from there. Let’s say, for UAH 5,000 we got only three bottles of water and each of us ate a pack of Mivina noodles. Good prices, I would say. Well, it was like in a restaurant.

However, we were thankful even for this because those people who did not have any money could not get even that.

After that, when everyone had been interrogated, including me, when I sort of told them everything, they called me again and said, “Well, let’s go, you, accomplice. We are going to talk to you again.” Well, I asked them, “Why do you call me an accomplice?” – “Well, your colleague has told us everything, so now you... Let’s go, you are going to tell us something.”

And then I realized that he confessed that he was a former military man, while he had not said this either in Starobesheve or in Mariupol. However, in Donetsk UBOP he admitted that he was a former military. Yet we had agreed with him... He asked me, “What shall I say?” I said, “Well, tell them the truth. We have nothing to hide, in fact. Yes, tell it like it is. Why should we be afraid?” He said, “Well, it is okay, I got you.” And when I realized that he confessed that he was a military, I thought, “Holy shit”, and now I went as an accomplice. I went for another interrogation, second time. They took me to the head of UBOP. I was probably taken to that very office where they go beyond your pain threshold, and they told me, “Come on. Tell us now.” I said, “Well, what shall I tell you? I told you everything, basically. Did not I?” They asked, “Do you know what GetContact [app] is?” I said, “I do.” He said, “Why does someone have a “bronik” [colloquial for bullet-proof vest] name assigned to your phone number?” I asked, “What my phone number do you mean?” I gave them two phone numbers. One of them was a corporate number. That is, a taxi service number because the SIM card was with me. He asked, “What SIM card?” I explained, “A corporate SIM card and another SIM card from my mobile phone.” They asked, “What the…why “bronik”?” I said, “Well, how do I know who names my phone number and me in their contact list like that and why?

“Bronik” could also be linked to a reservation, a [car] booking. “Bronik” because people called and ordered a taxi service.” – “What are you talking about? Well, everything looks too murky in your case. Pack him up.”

I said, “Don’t pack me up and don’t take me anywhere. I am telling you everything like it is” – “Stop talking.” And they took me away. That’s it. After that, the interrogations ended and then we were all taken to the vehicle and taken somewhere for a fluorography. We underwent a chest fluorography and then were taken to a temporary detention facility (IVS). IVS is a temporary detention place. That’s right, the abbreviation stands for a temporary detention facility in russian. We spent a day there after those previous conditions when we slept like that. When we saw that there was tap water in the IVS, that we could sleep there on a board bed, jail bed, on a mattress... We said, “This looks simply like a VIP room.” I said that we were just in clover. Well, everything is cognized through comparison, as they say. Naturally, we washed ourselves up, we had a wash as best we could, for the first time during all this period.

I slept on the mattress, finally, first for all those four days.

Yes… but for us it felt like an eternity. For me in particular, because all this was so unclear. It happened for the first time, and it was really creepy. I understood that I was nobody and my name meant just nothing really. That is, I was not a human being for them there. After we spent a night in that temporary detention facility, in the morning we were taken to some vehicle again. So, after the temporary detention centre, our final destination point was correctional penitentiary facility no. 120 in Volnovakha. Well, we got docked there, so to speak. In fact, every time, a tough reception awaited us in every new place. Later, we even dared to ask why that was the case. He said, “What do you mean “why”? Well, so that you understand it, so that you do not get too smart. Well, if we receive you softly, if we treat you gently here..., you won’t understand where you are, while you must know it.”

What kind of tough treatment was it in particular?

Well, firstly, in their attitude, in the way they handled us, and in cuffs or punches, one might say. Well, I mean, someone was beaten with a club on the kidneys there, and someone was kicked on his knees. Well, others were made to squat for four hours. Not everyone is able to endure it. In the temporary detention facility, one of us just fainted, another one had a heart attack, and they were sent back [to the detention place]. So there, basically, that was the toughest treatment, in fact. And only later we realized that this was already a prison in fact. And the attitude of the security guards there, well, it was like that towards everyone, basically. Well, but their attitude to us was still loyal one, in comparison. Well, as I said, things are cognized through comparison.

More loyal than to whom?

More loyal than to the military, as at first, the “DPR” soldiers treated the [Ukrainian] military in a very harsh manner. Perhaps, the word human is simply not known there.

That is, they could beat and kick [the prisoners]. When they just passed by, they could easily kick a prisoner on the back or just push him so that he falls flat on his face with his hands behind his back. As it turns out that you just cannot put your hands forward. Well, a person just doesn’t expect it. When somebody squats and keeps his hands behind and someone passes by and simply kicks him with all his strength, so he automatically…, he does not even have time to stretch his hands out...

Well, we saw it all there because... Well, we saw a lot of things there, in fact. I stayed there for 103 days, 104, that’s it.

What were your living conditions like there?

Well... Like in any prison. At the beginning, we slept on the concrete floor. We just put some jackets on the concrete floor and slept on them.

It was in March, right?

Yes. Well, in fact, it was probably a period from 27 March, when we were detained, and up to the 10th or maybe even up to the 15th. Each of us exhausted his health in fact, since we slept on the concrete floor, we slept in the draught. Nothing to cover yourself with, nothing to lay on the floor, no mattresses. Only the clothes that we had on us. We tried our best to lay something under ourselves, so as not to sleep on concrete, but also to cover ourselves with something. That is why we all fell ill while being there. Well, first we were placed in DIZO. DIZO stands for a disciplinary temporary detention facility. Well, that is a cell of 18 square metres of which the toilet occupies three square meters.

Right there?

Right inside it, and there’s everything else. At the very beginning, there were 43 of us there per 15 square metres.

But how?

How? We slept in turns. While someone was sleeping, others were standing on one leg between their legs, so that the rest could have a sleep. Then we swapped.

And how many days did you spend there?

We stayed there for almost a month. There were the military, some border guards, some former military, some civilians, and some volunteers too. Well, it so happened that we always stayed…, basically, they kept volunteers together in the same cell. That is, it so happened occasionally. But in fact, absolutely different people, people from all walks of life, passed through our circle, including people in this cell. Well, when people came in first, we asked them, of course... Who they were, where from, what and how. There were some former military, military of various sorts, so to speak, a diverse contingent of people.

Naturally, we held on to each other, realizing that we needed some mutual support, with understanding and without ambitions, without any extra self-esteem.

I mean, we supported each other, for sure. When it was necessary, we braced ourselves up, and in other situations, we budged if needed. Sometimes we were silent and sometimes we helped each other, when necessary.

What did you eat all those days, and how did you take your meals? As you said, many of you were standing, but how about having something to eat?

Meals were given on plates. We used spoons in turns. Once we finished our meals, we gave the plates back and a new portion of food was put on the same plate. That’s how we ate it. What did we eat? Well, some [boiled] water with potatoes, with some sort of canned sauerkraut. It was the first course. In early days, what was good was probably the fact that we had a lot of bread. That’s it.

Olenivka is a place where a flour milling plant was. This is what saved us, that there was a lot of bread, and we could take some more bread and stay our hunger. Some peeled barley grain boiled in water – that’s what we got at first.

Any cigarettes, any tea? Anything like that?

No. Well, our tea was probably some burnt sugar drink, which darkened the water, but it hardly looked and tasted like tea at all. There were no cigarettes.

But how did you…?

Cigarettes were black gold, in fact. That is, having cigarettes, you could have everything else then. Yes, as it turned out, cigarettes are quite a strategic product in a prison. For us, civilians, this was something unknown. There were some former inmates among us, who were volunteers too. I mean, they were ex-prisoners. So they sort of taught us a bit how to behave towards them, those prison guards.

For example?

Well, that we should not argue with them, that we should not demand anything. Well, we understood that those were some inhuman conditions, and we asked them: give us this, make us that. He said, “You should not ask for anything. They won’t do it for you. You will only make them angry.” While we thought like that. We wanted just some normal treatment: give us some water to drink, or let us go outside for a walk. No.

Did they let you out for a walk, by the way?

No, the procedure was like that. When we were in DIZO, at first, they did not let us out at all. There was only a small window and that’s all. Thank God, we were lucky to be kept in a cell without a double door. That is, there was a door with an open grate, and there was no second iron door behind it. This is what saved us. That fresh air came in from the hallway. In winter, it was drafty though, and that was bad. In summer, it was good that it was cool, but it was drafty too because the windows were opened too. Well, it was still definitely better than in a cell with an iron door. But after that, nine people were removed from our cell to be engaged in doing some work. And then, after about a week… It was probably the middle of... Well, yes, it was closer to the 20th of April, when their senior [team leader] came up, from those people who were taken away previously, and said that there was an opportunity to get out of DIZO and be transferred to the “barracks”.

But for this we would need to do some repairs there at our own cost, “for our money.” Well, we basically understood that we were ready for this. That is, “you will be given the opportunity to get in contact with the “main land” so that some construction materials are brought to you, so that you could arrange it. You will have to make repairs, but your living conditions will be better. Who is ready for this? Well, who is ready to take part?” Some people said okay, understanding their financial possibilities, knowing their connections, that is, whether they would be able to afford it or not. We left the place. There were 12 of us. Yes, 12 people who agreed to it, to change the place on such terms. So we were moved out and transferred to the barracks.

A barrack was a two-storey building with rooms, in which people could lay out beds and sleep on mattresses. In addition, there was a courtyard where people could have a walk outdoors.

We were given the scope of [repair] work and estimated the cost, what materials we would need and in what quantity approximately. Well, finally we calculated everything. We said right away, “Guys, let’s agree. So, we share the entire cost of all the construction materials among all of us, and in addition, we include some parcels, that is, some food.

Sharing it among all of you means among the 12 of you?

Among 12 people, plus all the parcels coming in. This amount was also to be shared by everyone, as they allowed only one of us to call someone who, roughly speaking, would be ready to sponsor it, until it becomes possible for us to return this money. Well, for your understanding, all this “fun” cost us UAH 200,000.

So, you spent UAH 200,000 to repair the prison in Olenivka?

Yes. One good thing to know is that our heroes settled there.

Do you mean Azov regiment soldiers? That is, you made repairs for Azov?

Yes. We stayed there almost until the middle of May. When it was already completely... We were there until the moment when they started…, literally some 3-4 days before, or even one day before… They moved us out of there because they already knew that Azov soldiers would surrender and they would be transferred there. We were moved out from there.

And where were you transferred to?

We were moved from there to the UK.

What is that?

UK stands for enhanced control. Enhanced control was also a detention area with an outdoor space, with the possibility to go outside into a courtyard. But there were cells there... Well, basically, it was not the worst place for us either.

Why?

As it turned out, they needed us later in order to have some work done. That’s why we were relocated to live in some normal conditions, and we were able to move around outside the cells. It was a two-storey building there. There was a toilet and a courtyard on the ground floor and some sleeping accommodations on the first floor. We settled there and had some free access, free movement outside the building, but within the inner territory of this UK, that is, enhanced control detention facility.

But it was okay for us. Well, we had access to [fresh] air, we slept on mattresses, and thanked God for that. What gave me some confidence was the fact that I was not guilty of anything.

So no matter what they do to me, no matter how hard they try to confuse me, I have nothing to say, and I have nothing to hide. I am not guilty. I had engaged in doing a good deed, and not any impact beyond my pain threshold could compel anything else from me. It was that confidence. And later, when we learned that [our] people were fighting for us, we kept waking up with those thoughts.

How did you know about it?

We received some information through one of the volunteers. One man’s wife, who moved to Donetsk on purpose, in order to be closer to us and be able to contact us quickly. It was also more convenient to transfer some parcels to us from there. Because she... well, in fact, we got the first parcel. My mum came from Dnipro and brought some construction materials and parcels, the first ones with some normal food. Well, speaking of food sharing, that was a separate topic, because normally what was delivered was meant for one person. Well, there is a certain limit, but there were many of us, so we also agreed that we would share what was delivered among absolutely everyone. For example, if there was a Chamomile candy, we divided it for six people. Because things and food that were delivered to us were far not enough for the number of people we had there. That is why it was difficult, so Kristina, the wife of one of the volunteers, moved closer to us in order to be able to get in touch with us faster.

Was it her who told you that they were fighting to get you out of there?

That was the second stage, when that thought gave us some hope and gave us strength to believe that this would eventually come to an end.

There was fear and unawareness, uncertainty, which was really gnawing and eating away at us. Complete unawareness of what would happen next. Even when we knew that our people were fighting in order to get us out of there, but we did not know when this fight would finish and who would win in this fight.

As for me personally, those delays and extensions bore really hard on me. Because we understood that “a day or two”, as they told us, were not a day or two, actually. And then they said, “Well, they will keep you here for a month or so, and then, according to the law, they will release you.” So we were waiting for that cherished 30 March, and on 27 March they came in with some paper without a stamp and without a date on it, “Sign it!” I asked, “What is it that I am supposed to sign?” “Come on, sign it. You want to know too much, you don’t need to.” So I signed it but I did not know that the paper went through their headquarters, as it turned out later. We then realized that this was an extension paper. This happened three times. Every time it happened, I was very shattered. There was a case when one military died. Well, I was probably fated to be there. When we were in DIZO, during our first stay there, as later we moved in there again. His family name was Shurda. He was from Mariupol and he was an honoured boxing coach of Ukraine. He felt sick. He felt bad there…

You mean where you were staying? Were all of you in that small room then? That’s right. He felt unwell. He said, “Guys, I feel bad.” We lifted him up and took him to the door because he was sleeping in the far part. For him to have a little bit of fresh air. I asked him what was wrong with him and what hurt. He said, “It is a burning pain in my chest.” I started to give him a kind of resuscitation massage and shouted loudly. We called a security guard and asked to take him outside. We explained that the man felt bad. We took him outside and called a medical assistant. She was a military medic. She was there too. Women were kept there too.

Do you mean they called in a medical assistant who was one of the convicts?

Yes, she was one of the prisoners. Well, we were kept on the first floor and women were kept on the ground floor. She would go around from time to time and would ask if anybody had any health problems. We told her what problems we had and asked her to give us some medicines. She explained she did not have them. She did not have either this or that. So why did she ask? Well, you never know, maybe she could still help somebody, even by applying Korean Gold Star balsam. That was it. If something more serious was needed, like some cardiac pills or drugs against high blood pressure, she said she did not have them, she did not have anything. Why? Because these medicines were probably confiscated from those who received some parcels. Naturally, there were some medicines inside the parcels, so they simply confiscated them for their own needs.

So what happened to that man who felt bad?

Did you take him out? We were taking care of him for two and a half hours before the ambulance could come. We said right away, “Call an ambulance, as we will not be able to help him.” The head of the prison came and said,

“I don’t give a shit what you do to him, but he should not die in the prison."

Once an ambulance comes, let him die there.” The ambulance came and took him. He had a massive heart attack. They took him to the hospital. He stayed there for a month and returned.

Back to you?

He was returned to Olenivka. He met me and thanked me a lot. He said, “I survived thanks to you.” But I did not really do anything special.

Perhaps, everyone in my place would do something in order to save someone’s life or help a friend in trouble.

That was the case. There was another case when one man cut his wrist. Well, he was sitting together with us and we all witnessed it. That man probably went mad a bit after some interrogation. Since he was taken for an interrogation and after that he began to behave inappropriately. We started worrying about his condition and about ourselves.

How about the case of cut wrist? You mentioned that there was a case when a man cut his wrist.

Yes, it was among the military. Someone could not stand the psychological pressure either, or failed to bear the load, or could not put up with what he was accused of, and so he cut his wrist. Well, we were not present there when this happened but we knew that there was such a case.

You said women lived on the ground floor?

Yes.

And how many of them were there?

Well, what do you think? Well, there were around 35-40 women there.

Were they all military women or were there some volunteers like you?

There were civilians among them too, there were civilians. One of them was a pregnant woman, in her fifth month. There were some military too. There were those who simply worked in a hospital. That is, they had nothing to do with the military service but they were classified as either military personnel or those who took part in military actions.

You said you got to DIZO for the second time. Why?

And when? We got to DIZO on 29 May, and we got there the hard way indeed. Why so? Because it happened at lightning speed, in one day.

What was it connected with?

Because some commissions [inspection commissions] began to visit us and, as I understand, they simply hid us so that they would not see us. Because de jure we were in the temporary detention facility, in fact. While de facto, we were in Volnovakha... Since the temporary detention facility does not accommodate that number of people, we were simply transferred to this penal colony in Volnovakha, in Olenivka. In addition, russian television began to pay visits there. Plus, some “high stars” [high-rank supervisors] began to come for inspection because a russian correctional colony staff, the Federal Penitentiary Service, came in there, and they were fully responsible for control of war prisoners. They completely dismissed and pushed aside “DPR” people from this business. We understood that there was war going on and that it was quite murky.

Why weren’t you killed? I mean, what consequence could be for them then?

Well, it could be a loud fallout, probably. It could probably be a resonating high-profile case subsequently because we were not just civilians who came under bombing. We came there and we were kept under control. And then what if we are gone? We would not just disappear. That is, they would still start looking for us. We were released from DIZO then.

What were your emotions?

Emotions... Well, we did not believe it. Once we crossed the threshold of this institution – the air was different. Well, far not everyone can feel it. You probably won’t understand it.

Well, it seems to be one and the same sky here and there but yet it is different. The air seems to be one and the same, but yet it is different. We did not believe we were free. We cried, we hugged each other.

Did they give you back some of your personal belongings?

Well, what did they give us? They did not give us our personal belongings. They gave us just our telephones and documents. Our cars/vehicles were not returned to anyone.

They did not return them, did they?

Not a single car was returned. From the moment when we were released, the volunteer organization took care of the entire organization of our movement. This was Denys Minin and his colleagues. Yes, Denys Minin. From Donetsk we got to Volodarske and from Volodarske we went to Berdiansk. We spent one night there and were supposed to leave the next day but it didn’t work out. We spent two days there. Yesterday we left Berdiansk for Zaporizhzhia. This was the route that we followed on the transport that was provided. That was the itinerary we covered until we got to the [Ukrainian] territory.

You said that when you came out of the prison in Olenivka, in Volnovakha, you felt that the air was different, right? Although it was just one step, the same air, but different. You came to Zaporizhzhia last night. Is the air the same or even more different?

It changed when we saw the Ukrainian flag. All the people on the bus started clapping their hands, and the first soldier who came in heard “Glory to heroes!” in reply.

And a round of applause broke out. He could not understand what was happening, why he was so honoured all of a sudden. Well, those were our emotions, because we felt that now we were safe.

You left and we met you yesterday with one backpack where you didn’t have any change of clothes, clearly. Is that right? In winter jeans, in winter boots, right?

Yes.

What’s next?

What’s next… Well, each of us needs some health recovery, for sure. Absolutely everyone will probably do this at different locations. I don’t know, in cities, because we definitely undermined… undermined our health there.

Maybe it is not so visible but everyone understood that those clothes in which we came, they were just hanging on us. One and a half people could fit there, in fact.

Well, and speaking in more global terms, I thought of engaging in what I started with, basically. Volunteering, evacuating people, helping people. I have been in Mariupol since 2011, for almost 11 years. In my field of activity, I crossed paths with many people in the city of Mariupol, big and small. And I understood that this city became my home. I understood that all the people who live there were close to me. And how many times, cases that I didn’t even tell anybody about, I came across some people who recognized me and whom I helped. Well, it just happened so. Well, it happened unintendedly.

They recognized me, they recognized me in Olenivka. A Toyota car with a triple “two” [on the licence plate], “I know you.” It is just a confirmation that I could not quit doing this. Well, I had a motto, “Who else if not us?” I wrote it in my Telegram account, everywhere, in my Viber too: “Who else but us?” Those people who lived side by side for a while, from their birth. I understood that any help should first go to Mariupol residents, and in second turn to Mariupol residents too. Well, this is something that is dear to us. We were saving our lives, actually. De jure and de facto, I knew I was right, and I knew I did not do anything wrong. I knew that no matter what happens to me – whether I am killed, I die, or they put me in prison – I myself am clean in front of all those whom I helped, those who recognized me. Who fought for me and who knows that I’m not guilty of anything.