A woman from Donetsk spent one and a half years in captivity: how she reunited with her children
Yulia Dvornichenko, a resident of Donetsk, spent one and a half years in Russian captivity, where she suffered torture. Her arrest took place in March 2021 when representatives of the 'Ministry of State Security' of the 'Donetsk People's Republic' detained her. Yulia was held in the Donetsk prison 'Isolation' and the Donetsk SIZO, where she was subjected to brutal interrogation methods.
"The same methods are applied to both men and women in 'Isolation'. They beat with electricity. I was stripped naked, beaten, and doused with water" — Yulia Dvornichenko.
On October 17, 2022, Yulia returned to Ukraine. After her release in December 2022, both of her sons, Mark and Danilo, escaped from occupation to Kyiv. Currently, the family lives in Kyiv region. Besides reuniting with her children, Yulia is also actively supporting other women who have experienced captivity.
The situation with captives in Ukraine
As of today, approximately 20 thousand civilian Ukrainians are in Russian captivity. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, recently stated the importance of resuming prisoner exchanges in the new year:
"Today Rustem Umerov is having meetings in Turkey: the Turkish Foreign Minister, followed by the intelligence service. And we are trying very hard to resume exchanges in the new year, as this is a key topic in our talks with Turkey. We need this assistance to bring our Ukrainians home from Russian captivity" — Volodymyr Zelensky.
Yulia Dvornichenko is an example of resilience and hope for many who have experienced similar hardships. Her story reminds us of the importance of support and solidarity in times of crisis.
The story of Yulia Dvornichenko highlights the horrific conditions faced by many Ukrainian citizens in captivity and the challenges they encounter. The issue of prisoner exchanges remains relevant in the context of the ongoing conflict, requiring efforts from the state and international partners to bring people home. Prisoner exchanges could be an important step towards restoring family ties and improving the humanitarian situation in the country.