{"id":5873,"date":"2025-05-02T00:03:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T00:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/"},"modified":"2025-05-02T00:03:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T00:03:28","slug":"trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1443958388.jpg\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\"><\/p>\n<p>When Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna\u2019s body was returned from Russian captivity with organs missing to hide evidence of torture, the revelation sent shockwaves around the world. <\/p>\n<p>Roshchyna<a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/roshchyna-body-russian-captivity\/\"> died in Russian captivity<\/a> in the fall of 2024, but her body was only returned to Ukraine in February and officially identified in April.<\/p>\n<p>She was among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ukrinform.ua\/rubric-society\/3938535-rosia-utrimue-v-poloni-ponad-16-tisac-civilnih-ukrainciv-lubinec.html\">16,000 Ukrainian civilians<\/a> held captive by Russia, according to Ukrainian authorities.<\/p>\n<p>The Geneva Conventions set strict limits on the <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/ukraine-shocked-by-torture-of-captive-journalist-as-over-30-remain-in-russian-hands\/\">detention of civilians<\/a> during wartime and establish clear standards for their humane treatment. Yet, the Ukrainians who have been freed from Russian captivity recount enduring daily beatings, <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/torture\/\">torture<\/a>, starvation, and denial of proper medical care at the hands of Russian authorities. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know of more than 180 prisons in Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine where our POWs (prisoners of war) and civilians are being kept,\u201d Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, told the Kyiv Independent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRussian authorities can target anyone (in the occupied territories) no matter their gender, age, or profession.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The fate of thousands of Ukrainians currently in captivity, as well as those living under occupation, remains uncertain amid U.S.-led efforts to end Russia\u2019s war.<\/p>\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/documents-show-differences-over-us-peace-drive-ukraine-2025-04-25\/\">leaked draft<\/a> published by Reuters, the proposal of a peace deal backed by Ukraine and Europe envisions the release of all POWs, captive civilians, and illegally deported children by Russia.<\/p>\n<p>However, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/ukraine-peace-deal-proposals-set-out-by-us-talks-paris-2025-04-25\/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ4YUZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFvTjgwUWtBcXNoakgyRjllAR4q8ZQVbC-y1_MjZY6BliXNCxWyb6nrohNal9f9dqMfSBgk3hiQCMyW8ChGMA_aem_CI-iVWYJfKlQUFOec9VdsQ\">leaked draft<\/a> backed by U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s administration includes no mention of any prisoner exchange or release of the kind. <\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s plan further reportedly proposes the de facto recognition of Russian occupation of parts of four Ukrainian regions and the de jure recognition of <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/zelenskys-crimea-conundrum-why-trumps-latest-crimea-comments-are-another-headache-for-zelensky\/\">Russia\u2019s illegal annexation of Crimea<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For Ukrainians under occupation, that means a continued risk of facing persecution, torture, and death. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the most terrible things that war brings is separation&#8230; We cannot leave any of our people, any towns and villages under Russian occupation,\u201d President Volodymyr Zelensky <a href=\"https:\/\/www.president.gov.ua\/en\/news\/mi-ne-mozhemo-zalishiti-zhodnogo-mista-j-sela-v-rosijskij-ok-84357?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">said<\/a> in July 2023. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWherever the Russian occupation continues, violence and humiliation of people reign.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"opposing-occupation\"><code>Opposing occupation<\/code><\/h2>\n<p>Ukrainians who <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/for-ukraines-female-partisans-in-occupation-hope-lies-in-resistance\/\">oppose the Russian occupation<\/a> of their land often end up in Russian captivity, alongside journalists, activists and volunteers.<\/p>\n<p>Anna Yeltsova was a 19-year-old student in her final year of studies <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/kherson-oblast\/\">in Kherson<\/a> when Russia captured the city shortly after launching its full-scale invasion in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Russia\u2019s heavy armored vehicles didn\u2019t scare Yeltsova, and she continued to rally support for Ukraine\u2019s military on social media even under occupation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have never for a moment doubted her strength of spirit,\u201d Veronika Denysenko, one of Yeltsova\u2019s former professors at Kherson State University, told the Kyiv Independent.<\/p>\n<p>As a university student specializing in primary education, patriotism played a major role in Yeltsova\u2019s pedagogical development. She approached tasks such as reciting poems, singing Ukrainian songs, and staging folk tales \u201cwith both enthusiasm and creativity,\u201d according to Denysenko.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23.webp\"><source type=\"image\/png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23.png\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2864\" height=\"1360\"><\/picture><figcaption>Anna Yeltsova, a student at Kherson University who was abducted in 2022, was sentenced to 10 years in a strict regime colony in occupied Crimea, Simferopol, Ukraine, in an undated video. (Screenshot from video \/ X)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Russian occupation forces came to Yeltsova\u2019s student dormitory with an ultimatum in the summer of 2022: cooperate with the occupiers or face eviction, Yeltsova\u2019s aunt <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QcwKOF6EHnY\">told<\/a> the Ukrainian TV show \u201cFinding Our Own.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yeltsova relocated from the city to her family home in the village of Balashove on the east bank of the Dnipro River.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the chaotic weeks that followed, we \u2014 her professors \u2014 tried to keep track of our students through Zoom, Viber, Telegram, Instagram,\u201d Denysenko said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was clear that Anya was taking extraordinary risks by continuing to post patriotic poetry and declarations of loyalty to Ukraine on her social media (while still being under occupation).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During a visit to her grandmother in the nearby village of Ahaimany, where she planned to finish her coursework, the Russians found her.<\/p>\n<p>The final post Yeltsova shared on Instagram before her abduction was a tribute to Ukraine\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/kherson-celebrates-liberation-photos\/\">liberation of the city of Kherson<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re home, dearest!\u201d Yeltsova proclaimed from the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast on Nov. 11, 2022, accompanying the text with a video of locals raising the Ukrainian flag in Kherson\u2019s city center.<\/p>\n<p>As Yeltsova\u2019s aunt told \u201cFinding Our Own,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/investigation-russians-carry-out-systemic-terror-in-occupied-part-of-kherson-oblast\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/investigation-russians-carry-out-systemic-terror-in-occupied-part-of-kherson-oblast\/\">Russian occupation authoritie<\/a>s arrived in two cars outside her grandmother&#8217;s house and they claimed during questioning to have found evidence on Yeltsova\u2019s phone that she had donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI love my country,\u201d she said according to her aunt. The Center for Journalistic Investigations <a href=\"https:\/\/investigator.org.ua\/ua\/news-2\/253235\/\">reported<\/a> in April 2023 that Halyna Kostenko, the head of Ahaimany, gave up Yeltsova to Russian authorities.<\/p>\n<p><!--kg-card-begin: html--><\/p>\n<div class=\"citation-snippet\">\n<p class=\"citation-snippet__text\">\n\u201cFrom (watching footage of her on Russian state media), it became clear that they were breaking her, and it was impossible to help her.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--kg-card-end: html--><\/p>\n<p>The General Prosecutor\u2019s Office <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gp.gov.ua\/ua\/posts\/povidomlennya-pro-pidozru-kostenko-gv\">announced<\/a> in November 2024 that Kostenko is suspected of collaborating with Russian authorities during the occupation.<\/p>\n<p>After being taken away with a bag over her head from Ahaimany, Yeltsova was held in the Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 2 in Simferopol, a city <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/not-just-a-betrayal-what-us-recognition-of-russias-crimea-occupation-would-mean-for-ukrainians-crimean-tatars\/\">in occupied Crimea<\/a>. Her parents initially struggled to track down where Russian forces had taken her, according to her aunt.<\/p>\n<p>In December 2022, Russian state media RIA Novosti released a video featuring Yeltsova, who is described as &#8220;a resident of Kherson Oblast.&#8221; The caption reads that she was apprehended for allegedly providing Russian military coordinates to Ukrainian authorities, a charge that could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years.<\/p>\n<p>A downcast Yeltsova says on the verge of tears in the video that she \u201cregrets\u201d what they accused her of doing.<\/p>\n<p>While Yeltsova continued to post pro-Ukrainian content online from Russian-occupied territory, such as calling for support for Ukraine\u2019s military, Russian authorities did not present any evidence in court to prove that she was actually <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/russian-controlled-court-sentence-ukrainian-for-alleged-espionage-in-occupied-donetsk-oblast\/\">guilty of espionage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom (watching footage of her on Russian state media), it became clear that they were breaking her, and it was impossible to help her. In that video, she was hardly recognizable, only her eyes were the same\u2026\u201d Denysenko said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a mother, I cried bitterly (when I learned of her abduction) and to this day, I worry deeply for her fate and pray for her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While tried in a court in Russian-occupied Chonhar in Kherson Oblast, Yeltsova was sentenced in February 2025 to 10 years in a penal colony.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"confession-under-torture\"><code>Confession under torture<\/code><\/h2>\n<p>Fabricated criminal cases are a common tool used by the Russian occupation authorities to instill fear in the general population and make examples out of those who oppose the occupation.<\/p>\n<p>However, even the Ukrainians who are not openly resisting the occupation can become a target.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what happened to 26-year-old Iryna Navalna. After <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/20-days-in-mariupol-oscar-nomination\/\">fleeing the siege of Mariupol<\/a>, Donetsk Oblast, with her mother in May 2022, Navalna decided later that August \u2014 against her mother\u2019s wishes \u2014 to temporarily return to the already occupied city to collect her belongings and spend time with her elderly grandmother who had refused to leave.<\/p>\n<p>During that trip, Navalna was arrested by Russian occupation forces and accused of plotting to bomb a government building during<a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/russias-elections-are-fake-russias-referendums-in-occupied-ukraine-are-null-and-void\/\"> the Kremlin\u2019s staged referendum<\/a> to illegally annex Donetsk and three other Ukrainian oblasts.<\/p>\n<p><!--kg-card-begin: html--><\/p>\n<div class=\"citation-snippet\">\n<p class=\"citation-snippet__text\">\n&#8220;(The police in Russian-occupied Mariupol) sat me down on a chair and started hitting me on the head, on the legs \u2014 they shocked my thigh with a stun gun.&#8221;\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--kg-card-end: html--><\/p>\n<p>Navalna was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2024 to eight years in prison by a court in Rostov-on-Don on terrorism charges. Russian authorities relied on witness testimonies to \u201cprove\u201d that she actually took part in plotting to commit a terrorist act, plus Navalna\u2019s own \u201cconfession,\u201d which she latertold the court was <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/faces-of-torture\/\">made under torture<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/2025\/05\/1608821813.webp\"><source type=\"image\/jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/1608821813.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/1608821813.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\"><\/picture><figcaption>A Russian military court has sentenced Ukrainian Iryna Navalna, 26, to eight years in prison on fabricated charges in an undated photo. (Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group \/ Aleksandra Astakhova \/ Mediazona)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201c(The police in <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/official-russian-occupation-authorities-in-mariupol-illegally-evict-residents-from-their-homes\/\">Russian-occupied Mariupol<\/a>) sat me down on a chair and started hitting me on the head, on the legs \u2014 they shocked my thigh with a stun gun. They told me I wouldn&#8217;t be released immediately, but if I confessed, I\u2019d be in a prisoner exchange with Ukraine sooner and could go home to my mom,\u201d Navalna <a href=\"https:\/\/slovo-zashite.org\/text\/ot-podvala-do-podvala\">told<\/a> a court in Russia\u2019s Rostov-on-Don in the summer of 2024.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey said they knew where my mother and grandmother lived. In the end, I agreed to falsely confess in order to protect my life and the lives of my loved ones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Russian state-controlled media has claimed that Navalna acted on the orders of <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/sbu\/\">Ukraine\u2019s State Security Service (SBU)<\/a> and was promised Hr 100,000 ($2,400) to plant an explosive device \u2014 a claim that Navalna has repeatedly denied.<\/p>\n<p>Navalna, as well as members of her family, have gone on record saying that several factors likely contributed to her becoming a target of the Russian occupation authorities after her return to Mariupol \u2014 among them, her stepfather being a Ukrainian soldier who took part in the defense of Azovstal, an internship at the local police station prior to the full-scale invasion, and, of course, her last name.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey mocked her and fixated on the name: \u2018Ah, Navalna \u2014 what are you, (late <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/navalnys-posthumous-memoir-falls-short-on-ukraine\/\">Russian opposition leader Alexei) Navalny<\/a>\u2019s illegitimate daughter or something?\u2019 They lined her up against a wall and held a gun to her head,\u201d Oleksandra Stolyar, Navalna\u2019s mother, <a href=\"https:\/\/zona.media\/article\/2024\/10\/08\/navalnaya\">told<\/a> the independent Russian outlet Mediazona in October, recalling their ordeal at a Russian filtration camp after they fled Mariupol.<\/p>\n<p>In a Facebook post from early 2023, Russian journalist and human rights advocate Olga Romanova shared information from recently freed Ukrainian female prisoners of war who had encountered Navalna at the pre-trial detention center in occupied Donetsk, shedding light on Navalna\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe female POWs met Ira frightened and badly beaten, covered in deep bruises. She said she was beaten during interrogations, and the guards beat her too. Just because they can,\u201d Romanova <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ooo.Romanova\/posts\/pfbid035tjL624ccgnem2fc7SUoqjN1LSuRqBHEK2VKvvZbuHzCwYBGamzbwJsWFRAqzL5Sl\">wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Twenty-one women, including Navalna, were confined to a cell designed for just 10 people, according to the POWs. They slept two to a bed, and from wake-up to lights out \u2014 16 hours in total \u2014 sitting was forbidden. Anyone caught sitting meant all of them women were dragged into the corridor and brutally beaten.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1244831216.webp\"><source type=\"image\/jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1244831216.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1244831216.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><figcaption>A view of damage at a police station where detainees were tortured and ill-treated by Russian forces in the city center of Kherson, Ukraine, on Nov. 16, 2022. (Metin Aktas \/ Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1513790090.webp\"><source type=\"image\/jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1513790090.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1513790090.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><figcaption>A view of damage at a police station where detainees were tortured and ill-treated by Russian forces in the city center of Kherson, Ukraine, on Nov. 16, 2022. (Metin Aktas \/ Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Geneva Conventions stipulate that civilians in wartime captivity must be safeguarded not only from violence and persecution but also exploitation. However, Navalna is one of the many Ukrainians who have been forced into participating in <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/whos-countering-russian-propaganda-now-expert-on-us-declining-disinformation-defense\/\">Russian propaganda videos<\/a> that are meant not only to brainwash the Russian public but to humiliate and intimidate Ukrainian prisoners.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, Russian state media NTV aired the propaganda film titled &#8220;I Am Zelensky\u2019s Scum: Ladies Who Bring Death Betray Their Leader\u201d featuring Navalna and other women accused by the Russian state of committing terrorist acts on behalf of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>It is clearly visible in the scenes featuring Navalna that her imprisonment has taken a physical and psychological toll on her. The scornful voiceover, set against dramatic background music, refers to her as &#8220;the future terrorist,&#8221; twisting her words about her upbringing in an attempt to portray her as a mentally unstable young woman and therefore somehow a &#8220;prime candidate&#8221; for recruitment by Ukrainian security services.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"people-not-land\"><strong><code>People, not land<\/code><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Discussions about Ukraine\u2019s occupied territories often wrongly assume that the Ukrainians who remain there are loyal to Russia. In truth, many Ukrainians find themselves under occupation for personal reasons \u2014 in Navalna\u2019s case, to be with her grandmother \u2014 and it doesn\u2019t mean they support Russian rule.<\/p>\n<p>False narratives about Ukrainians in occupied territories \u2014 frequently peddled by pro-Russian propagandists \u2014 have now also been amplified by a top U.S. official.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;(Ukraine\u2019s occupied regions) are <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/explainer-why-do-some-ukrainians-speak-russian\/\">Russian-speaking<\/a>, and there have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/i-dont-regard-putin-as-a-bad-guy-witkoff-says-on-negotiations-with-russia\/\">under Russian rule<\/a>,&#8221; Trump\u2019s special envoy Steve Witkoff told American right-wing commentator and conspiracy theorist Tucker Carlson in March. Witkoff has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occasions as part of Washington\u2019s peace effort.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine has been pushing for any peace plan to include not only <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/ukraine-brings-home-246-prisoners-of-war-in-swap-with-russia\/\">the release of POWs <\/a>and the return of tens of thousands of <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/ukraine-secures-return-of-11-children-from-russian-occupied-territories\/\">children abducted by Russia<\/a>, but also the release of civilians in Russian captivity, as tens of thousands of innocent people could otherwise face long-term suffering and abuse, with no clear path to returning home \u2014 especially those indicted by Russian courts on fabricated criminal charges.<\/p>\n<p>The return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity remains a multinational effort, but Ukrainian authorities acknowledge that the absence of strong U.S. support, particularly in the context of the ongoing push for peace, could further complicate the situation.<\/p>\n<p><!--kg-card-begin: html--><\/p>\n<div class=\"citation-snippet\">\n<p class=\"citation-snippet__text\">\n&#8220;It is basements, torture, electric shock, rape with rubber truncheons.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--kg-card-end: html--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course, we face more challenges now, such as when the U.S. ceased its (financial) support of very important programs to look for (Ukrainian) children kidnapped by Russia,\u201d Yatsenko said.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Russia is employing a range of obstructive tactics to evade accountability for the wellbeing of the thousands of civilians in Ukrainian captivity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConditions in Russian places of detention cannot be <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/how-ukraine-lost-faith-in-red-cross-and-un\/\">checked by international humanitarian organizations<\/a> like the International Committee of the Red Cross,\u201d Yatsenko explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, the Russians have still not created special camps for prisoners where their rights are guaranteed, as dictated by the Geneva Conventions.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/2024\/05\/Aseyev.webp\"><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Aseyev.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Aseyev.jpeg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/picture><figcaption>Stanislav Aseyev, a journalist who spent nearly three years in the infamous Izolyatsia prison in Russian-occupied Donetsk in 2017-2019. Photo published on May 1, 2024, after Aseyev joined the Ukrainian military. (Stanislav Aseyev\/X)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The frustration felt by many Ukrainians over the absence of a strong, unequivocal response from the U.S. to Russia\u2019s occupation of Ukrainian territories and the brutal treatment of prisoners is deepened by the testimonies of those who have endured these abuses firsthand, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/author\/stanislav-aseyev-8372\/\">Stanislav Aseyev<\/a>, a journalist who spent nearly three years in<a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/sednaya-bashar-al-assads-death-camp\/\"> the infamous Izolyatsia prison<\/a> in Russian-occupied Donetsk in 2017-2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOccupied Crimea is not Alsace and Lorraine, which we can talk about later. It is basements, torture, electric shock, rape with rubber truncheons,\u201d Aseyev wrote on X on April 23.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrow away your calculator and remember that we are not just talking about square kilometers, but about people.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"note-from-the-author\">Note from the author:<\/h2>\n<p><em>Hey there, it&#8217;s Kate Tsurkan, thanks for reading my latest interview. This was honestly one of the most difficult articles for me to write as I couldn&#8217;t stop thinking for days afterward about Anna Yeltsova and Iryna Navalna. What is happening to Ukrainian civilians in Russian prisons is the stuff of nightmares, and the situation will only get worse if Russia isn&#8217;t stopped. While this was a difficult read, I hope it made you understand how dire the situation truly is. \u00a0It you appreciate reading about this sort of thing, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/membership\/\" rel=\"dofollow\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>p<strong><strong><strong>lease consider supporting <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>The Kyiv Independent.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\"><a class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/investigation-russians-carry-out-systemic-terror-in-occupied-part-of-kherson-oblast\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">Investigation: Russians carry out systemic terror in occupied part of Kherson Oblast<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">On the morning of Nov. 20, 2023, Russians came to Raisa Rusnak\u2019s home, looking for her 28-year-old son Ruslan. Four masked men threw him onto the ground and began beating him. \u201cGuys, what have I done to you? What do you want from me?\u201d Ruslan shouted. Those were the<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/size\/w256h256\/format\/png\/2023\/03\/K-new.svg\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\"><span class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">The Kyiv Independent<\/span><span class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Danylo Mokryk<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2024-10-19-at-17_54_12.jpg\" alt=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p> &#8211; https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ukraine\/rss\/<\/p>\n<p>This article appeared on the websitekyivindependent.com<br \/>\nThis article is taken based on Law no. 8\/1996 of Romania. News does not enjoy copyright, so they can be taken, this is our right to take news and information in its entirety and distribute them further. The content was made available to us through the rss mechanism<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/\">Original Content<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna\u2019s body was returned from Russian captivity with organs missing to hide evidence of torture, the revelation sent shockwaves around the world. Roshchyna died in Russian captivity in the fall of 2024, but her body was only returned to Ukraine in February and officially identified in April. She was among 16,000<a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/\"> [&hellip;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":5874,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1152,1],"tags":[2540,3632,6045,35,43,65,587,576,575,6046,1238,1379],"class_list":["post-5873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kyivindependent","category-news","tag-captivity","tag-effort","tag-ignores","tag-in","tag-of","tag-peace","tag-russian","tag-still","tag-thousands","tag-tortured","tag-trumps","tag-ukrainians"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity - News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna\u2019s body was returned from Russian captivity with organs missing to hide evidence of torture, the revelation sent shockwaves around the world. Roshchyna died in Russian captivity in the fall of 2024, but her body was only returned to Ukraine in February and officially identified in April. She was among 16,000 [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-02T00:03:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1443958388.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Misu Videan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Misu Videan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/\",\"name\":\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity - News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-02T00:03:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-02T00:03:28+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7d76dd7ecd7d235e40cce6ec62083b69\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23-1.png\",\"width\":1240,\"height\":589},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Prima pagin\u0103\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/\",\"name\":\"News\",\"description\":\"Euro TV News Agency\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7d76dd7ecd7d235e40cce6ec62083b69\",\"name\":\"Misu Videan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2584ffca062277b8497cf6c9182e423c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2584ffca062277b8497cf6c9182e423c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Misu Videan\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.ziaruldebanat.ro\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/author\/mihai_vidjean\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity - News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity - News","og_description":"When Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna\u2019s body was returned from Russian captivity with organs missing to hide evidence of torture, the revelation sent shockwaves around the world. Roshchyna died in Russian captivity in the fall of 2024, but her body was only returned to Ukraine in February and officially identified in April. She was among 16,000 [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/","og_site_name":"News","article_published_time":"2025-05-02T00:03:28+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-1443958388.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Misu Videan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Misu Videan","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/","url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/","name":"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity - News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23-1.png","datePublished":"2025-05-02T00:03:28+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-02T00:03:28+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7d76dd7ecd7d235e40cce6ec62083b69"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23-1.png","width":1240,"height":589},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/trumps-peace-effort-ignores-thousands-of-ukrainians-still-tortured-in-russian-captivity\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Prima pagin\u0103","item":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Trump\u2019s peace effort ignores thousands of Ukrainians still tortured in Russian captivity"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/","name":"News","description":"Euro TV News Agency","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7d76dd7ecd7d235e40cce6ec62083b69","name":"Misu Videan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2584ffca062277b8497cf6c9182e423c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2584ffca062277b8497cf6c9182e423c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Misu Videan"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.ziaruldebanat.ro"],"url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/author\/mihai_vidjean\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-01-at-21_24_23-1.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}