Russian occupiers beat Ukrainian POWs in Olenivka if they refused to sign documents against their command – Azov fighter

KYIV. Aug 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Russian occupation forces in the territory of the correctional facility in the village of Olenivka, Donetsk region, beat captured Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) if they refused to sign documents against their command and admit guilt for the destruction in the city of Mariupol, according to a fighter of the Azov regiment, Denys Chepurko (call sign – Mango).

"I held the fort in the city of Mariupol from [February] 24… I was evacuated to the 120th colony in Olenivka… I was a witness when the guys were beaten… They also beat me during interrogations: they wanted me to sign all sorts of testimonies against my command, and that we bombed the city [Mariupol], that we did everything. I said that I would not do this, they started beating me with sticks. But I never signed anything," he said at a press conference on Monday.

Chepurko also noted that the Russian invaders constantly threatened Ukrainian POWs with execution, and also limited them in food and drinking water.

"They gave us 600 grams of water for two days. At the same time, the water was not drinkable at all. There were restrictions on everything. Russia did not adhere to the Geneva Conventions, which she was obliged to stick to while keeping us [in captivity]. There were ten of us in a room meter per meter, we slept on the floor," the fighter said.

Another fighter of the regiment, Dmytro Usichenko (call sign – Vyshnia) said that the Russian troops threatened the Ukrainian military with physical violence and executions for refusing to confess to the murder of civilians in Mariupol.

In turn, Azov fighter Vladyslav Zhavoronok (call sign – Wikipedia), who also participated in the press conference, stressed the fact that Ukrainian POWs in hospitals received inadequate treatment due to either an insufficient amount of medicines from the enemy, or a lack of knowledge among the staff.

"I will say using my own example, I had interrogations even before I started taking antibiotics after the amputation of a limb. It is difficult to call it a treatment," he said.