On 28 July, Ukraine commemorates the defenders, members of volunteer formations, and civilians who were executed, tortured, or died in captivity. This day is dedicated to those who perished in captivity, in the torture chambers of the occupiers, never living to see liberation. On 28 July, we remember every Ukrainian man and woman who died in enemy hands. Today, we must keep in mind: the crime is ongoing. Those who serve the Russian regime continue to torture, maim, and terrorize our people in both known and unknown prisons, detention centers, and even basements of ordinary homes.
On the night of July 28–29, 2022, the world witnessed yet another act of brutality by Russians — a terrorist attack carried out in a detention facility in temporarily occupied Olenivka. An explosion destroyed the building where Ukrainian prisoners of war were being held — defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal. At least 53 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and over 130 others were injured. Among those killed were two Crimeans: Vladyslav Bilyi (callsign “Hope”) and Oleksii Dmytruk (callsign “Kipish”). Since the beginning of Russia’s occupation of Crimea, both had defended Ukraine’s territorial integrity and, in 2022, were among the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal.
The explosion that destroyed the building was a cynical act of mass murder, targeting those who no longer held weapons, who were supposed to be protected under international humanitarian law. The Geneva Conventions explicitly require detaining powers to ensure the lives, safety, dignity, and medical care of prisoners of war. Russia deliberately and demonstratively violated these obligations.
Today, Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians still held in Russian captivity face daily torture, humiliation, and both psychological and physical abuse. Those who return come back exhausted, with shattered health and injuries that require long-term treatment and rehabilitation. In some cases, even after being released, defenders have died from the consequences of torture endured in captivity. While many of them will never regain what was lost, we have a duty to remember and honor each and every one of them. On July 22, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially declared July 28 the Day of Mourning and Remembrance for the Defenders of Ukraine — members of volunteer formations and civilians — who were executed, tortured, or died in captivity.
Since the full-scale invasion, Russia has systematically used Crimea as a location to hold prisoners of war and kidnapped civilians from the temporarily occupied territories of southern Ukraine. In detention centers, including in occupied Simferopol, detainees endure beatings, electric shocks, mock executions, psychological pressure, sleep deprivation, and denial of medical care. Torture is inflicted on both prisoners of war and civilians, including activists, journalists, and volunteers. One well-known case is that of Denys Myronov, who joined the territorial defense in Kherson on February 24. After the city was occupied and armed resistance became impossible, he began providing the Ukrainian army with information about Russian military activities. Denys was eventually detained and held in a basement where he was tortured; one of his broken ribs punctured a lung. He was later transferred to occupied Sevastopol. After a medical examination, Denys was hospitalized but died from his injuries.
Russia, as an occupying and aggressor state, systematically violates international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention Against Torture. Mass killings of prisoners, torture, denial of medical care, and detention in inhumane conditions constitute a deliberate policy by the Russian aggressor aimed at the destruction and humiliation of our people.