“For any positive mention of Russia, or something bad about Ukraine, he [prison guard] began to beat us in the face and body <…> Arriving at Zapad-1 in the Lvov region, this is prisoner of war camp, overseers from the National Guard of Ukraine also treated us harshly when we got out of the paddy wagon. They made us rush by beating on the head and back with batons.”
The conditions of detention were awful, the prisoners were constantly overworked, malnourished and lived in complete unsanitary conditions:
“In Kharkov they asked us: “Do you have AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis?” We answered: «No». They said: «Well, you will.»
When the administration of the camp found out that someone had complained to the representative of Red Cross about overtime, all the prisoners were forced to do 500 squats.
“Even the one-legged man squatted, with crutches. But at his own will, to keep up with us. Strong man. Russian».