The Russians used captured civilians in Vovchansk as labor
The Russians used captured civilians in Vovchansk as labor force, they forced them to prepare Russian positions for 12 hours a day, the residents of the city say.
At the city’s aggregate plant, the Russians set up a torture chamber where local residents were held. Prisoners were forced to perform hard labor, including digging trenches, mortar points, and cesspools for street toilets. In general, Kharkiv region had the most torture chambers among all regions of Ukraine – 28.
The working day lasted up to 12 hours, even those who had difficulty moving were forced to work.
Local physical education teachers Roman and Viktor were among the prisoners. They spoke of appalling housing conditions, massive weight loss and premature aging due to stress.
The guards warned that the prisoners would be beaten or shot if they tried to escape. From time to time, the Russians held a so-called “amnesty”, releasing some of the prisoners, especially on holidays.
The participants of the anti-terrorist operation were of the greatest interest to the occupiers, they were actively wanted according to the lists they received from the collaborators.
A 52-year-old resident of Vovchansk told about the terrible experience of being in the torture chamber of the Russians. The man got there because of a careless conversation with a neighbor, to whom he expressed his dissatisfaction with the presence of Russian troops.
“On the first day, the interrogation lasted about one and a half hours. For the next three days, they tortured me from 12:00 to 5:00 a.m. They beat me, tortured me with an electric shock. It was the most terrible thing… When I was electrocuted, it was the most terrible feeling,” the man said.
The man mentions the inhuman conditions of detention. At first, when there were not many people in the cell, food was brought in a 5-liter bucket. Later, when the cell was overcrowded, the prisoners began to be taken out to an improvised dining room.
“They gave me some pate for bread. Usually the cans were without lids, but once it happened to be closed. I took that lid away – I wanted to cut my veins, because I couldn’t take it anymore,” the man admits.
A 21-year-old resident of Vovchansk shared his terrible experience of captivity. On May 2, during a trip to get fuel, he was suddenly attacked by unknown persons. The attackers beat the young man, tied him with tape and robbed him, taking 5,000 hryvnias and a mobile phone. Then it was delivered to a local aggregate plant.
“At the factory, they put a bag over my head and began to torture me with electric shocks. During the torture, former local policemen who had defected to the Russian Federation were present. I was tortured for three days. They shot from a machine gun near my legs and ears. After that, they forced me to dig trenches,” – says the victim.
In total, the boy was held for 17 days. The Russians suspected him of connections with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and border guards.
Vovchansk is a city in the Chuguyiv district, 4 kilometers from the Ukrainian-Russian border. Before the war, more than 18,000 people lived here.
On February 24, 2022, the first day of the Russian invasion, Vovchansk was occupied by Russian troops. On September 11, 2022, the city was liberated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For a long time, Vovchansk was subjected to Russian shelling.