Interview with Former POW from Mariupol

You're from that Mariupol garrison,

which came out in May after nearly four

years in captivity.

Exactly, exactly from Mariupol.

Mariupol Territorial Defense. I still don't realize that I'm already home.

What's here?

Excuse me, for those four and a half years, I was forced

to speak only Russian.

Whatever is comfortable for you, whatever is comfortable for you.

So I'll tell you, it had already become difficult.

We were, we were losing heart. There were, at first we were in

Yelenivka, then we were in Sakhadolsk for three years.

You were in Yelenivka, in Olenivka, in the Olenivka penal colony, right?

And we… It was difficult. There were several of us,

let's say, there were about ten of us. Mariupol Territorial Defense.

Over the past year and a half, we, we were taken altogether

to another institution.

They didn't even tell you where you were?

No, there was such a strict regime, uh...

secrecy. We weren't allowed to look at the staff.

Uh, they kept putting hoods on us.

We were forbidden to look at the staff or raise our heads.

Every day?

They were always wearing masks, so we

didn't know where we were. We were in a covered prison.

There were four of us. The cell

where we were held was three and a half by three meters.

There were four of us. Do you know Demyd?

In Mariupol?

No,

not a house, Demyd is a flag.

Demyd.

We moved

with flags bearing the word Ukraine.

Now I'm home.

Welcome home, and thank you for your recording.

Thank you. Thank you.