Ukrainians Reflect on Their Experiences in Russian Detention Centers

Konstantin Davydenko, a former prisoner, recounts his seven-year imprisonment under a sentence handed down by the Russian Supreme Court in Crimea, where he was found guilty of being a Ukrainian espionage agent.

His detention took place in Krasnodar, in southern Russia, which he describes as a hellish environment full of cruelty.

"Fear was a powerful tool used to torment us," he disclosed in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

Davydenko's sentence was delivered in June 2019, five years following Russia's occupation of Crimea, a region historically recognized as Ukrainian, located on the northern Black Sea coastline. The area had previously functioned with its own constitution as an autonomous republic under Ukraine's oversight.

The situation shifted dramatically in 2014 when Russia annexed the region, resulting in Ukrainian authorities being replaced by Russian officials, alongside alterations to the constitutional and legal frameworks.

Since 2014, over 7,000 individuals, particularly from the Crimean Tatar community—who are indigenous Muslims—have departed the peninsula, as reported by Ukrainian human rights organizations.

Davydenko, however, chose to remain despite a backdrop of intimidation, unlawful searches, arbitrary arrests, and maltreatment targeting Ukrainians deemed dissidents. He worked as a property appraiser, adhering to Ukrainian regulations until his arrest in 2018.

"I knew the kind of activities Russia would prohibit. However, Russian documentation was disregarded by banks and any legal entities outside Crimea, as they held no validity," he stated, reflecting on the international community's refusal to recognize Russia's annexation of the peninsula.

In 2018, he was accused of gathering classified information for Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and received a conviction the following year.

Davydenko was imprisoned in a cell built for 14 occupants, housing 36 other inmates.

"Showering was not permitted, and hygiene was non-existent. The conditions were unbearable," he expressed.

He described the enduring torture administered by guards, highlighting all too often how they would impose solitary confinement for minor infractions.

He noted the physical and emotional maltreatment adversely affected his health.

His time in prison saw him suffer a stroke, develop kidney stones, and lose his teeth, coupled with deteriorating bone strength—all while being denied necessary medical assistance.

"It was an unforgiving environment," he lamented.

The Russian annexation of Crimea began a chain of events leading to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Until 2022, tensions between the two nations had existed as part of previously unyielding conflicts in Europe.

Despite ongoing skirmishes in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where Russian- backed separatists opposed Ukrainian control, a full-scale war had yet to unfold.

In February 2022, as Ukraine intensified its efforts under President Zelensky to become a NATO member, Russian forces executed a large-scale invasion targeting major cities and critical infrastructure nationwide.

The Kremlin has justified its actions by citing concern over NATO's expansion towards its borders, suggesting that Ukraine's possible accession would threaten Russian security. President Vladimir Putin characterized the installation of a pro-Russian government in 2014 as an irreversible coup.

At a press conference, he reiterated that NATO's eastward growth represented a direct menace, as stated in 2008, affirming that any expansion would be viewed as a severe threat.

Last month, he reiterated that Russia was misled about NATO's intentions regarding its expansions.

He had previously indicated that any NATO efforts to establish military footholds on Ukrainian soil would be intolerable, identifying it as a matter of survival for Russia’s historical future.

Consequently, Ukraine has emerged as Russia’s geopolitical rival instead of merely remaining a neutral neighbor. Analysts assert that NATO's expansion into former Soviet states contributes to Russia's feelings of encirclement and insecurity, exacerbating historical anxieties.

Nonetheless, other scholars contend that NATO's growth does not alone explain the onset of war in 2022. Variables such as Russia’s refusal to recognize Ukraine as an independent entity, concern over the proliferation of Ukraine's pro-democracy movements after the 2014 revolution, and Putin’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy also played significant roles.

Moreover, many observers have pointed out that if NATO's expansion were the singular cause of conflict, then the original enlargement in 1999, which included Poland and Hungary, would have met more resistance.

Despite Russia's previous assertions about NATO's threat, the annexation of Crimea had already stifled Ukraine's ambitions towards NATO membership.

For Ukrainians, the country’s right to sovereign decisions remains paramount, and Russia's actions blatantly infringe upon the independence of the nation.

All the Ukrainians interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES conveyed this sentiment. Millions have endured the turmoil wrought by Russian missile strikes on their homes, leading to substantial loss of life on both sides.

According to United Nations reports, in 2025 alone, over 2,514 civilian fatalities and 12,142 injuries were recorded in Ukraine.

Communities have been scarred, with many families destroyed, and civilians subjected to imprisonments and torture within Russian jurisdictions. Cities like Lviv, Kyiv, Donetsk, and Kharkiv have erected memorials commemorating the victims adorned with Ukrainian flags.

In Lviv, these sites have become places for familial remembrance, where loved ones offer prayers for those lost or still missing, hoping for their return.

Serhiy Doroshenko shared a harrowing experience of survival when he was captured in Olenivka prison, notorious for an explosion that killed scores of Ukrainian POWs in July 2022. He described instances of resorting to drinking from puddles, battling infections, and suffering lies—the least troubling experiences over his three-year confinement.

After being apprehended in 2022 while volunteering as a medic to treat wounded soldiers in Donetsk Oblast, he realized that both medics and civilians were subjected to mistreatment equivalent to that faced by soldiers captured on the front lines.

He recounted, "In their perception, we warranted no dignity, respect, or recognized values."

Following his transfer to different facilities, he faced daily flogging and torment, enforcing an atmosphere of fear and the ever-present possibility of violence. Even in Mordovia, conditions continued to deteriorate dangerously for him and fellow prisoners.

The atmosphere of mistrust among inmates made survival impossible; they learned to doubt each other and stay quiet, as speaking out risked reporting to guards.

"Each facility was different, yet torture was a constant presence. I had internally anticipated that I would not be released back home but would instead be shifted to another prison," he revealed.

Ultimately, Doroshenko was freed in February 2025 during a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia, as negotiations for returning captives progressed.

For families of those imprisoned, the uncertainty surrounding their loved ones often inflicts equal suffering as the detentions themselves.

Olena Tsygipa has tirelessly campaigned for her husband’s release. Nearly four years have elapsed since his arrest, yet her determination remains unshaken.

Ukrainian officials noted to PREMIUM TIMES that captives from the battlegrounds and occupied territories often consist of medics volunteering to care for injured soldiers or outspoken individuals expressing their pro- Ukrainian stances, seen as an effort to quell dissent.

Her husband, Serhiy Tsygipa, was among such individuals. A journalist who had openly criticized the Russian invasion, he was apprehended in March 2022 while working in the occupied city of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region, where Olena also taught at a school.

Russian officials charged him with “espionage” under their Criminal Code's Article 276, which Tsygipa's wife denounces as a fabricated excuse meant to suppress his Ukrainian patriotism.

Despite these allegations, Olena persists in her objective to reunite with him.

"Russia is defying all humanitarian laws, including the Geneva Conventions. They apprehend unarmed civilians and treat them like combatants," she stated emphatically.

She, alongside countless other Ukrainians, is adamant on achieving an end to the war, seeking the termination of Russia's occupation in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and other areas.

This aspiration is echoed by the fresh generation of Ukrainians, whose vivid memories of pre-war Ukraine have begun to fade but whose resolve for lasting peace remains firm as long as Russian forces occupy their lands.

This sentiment fuels considerable discontent towards the recently proposed US- mediated 28-point peace plan, which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territories.

During ongoing discussions, Ukrainian President Zelensky has suggested that, in light of conflicts, Ukraine might have to consider ceding some regions to Russia to conclude hostilities.

However, nearly all Ukrainians spoken to during a PREMIUM TIMES visit voiced strong opposition to the notion of giving up land.

"Asking us to surrender territories equates to facilitating further violations of our national integrity," a 20-year-old respondent argued.