Vladislav Zadorin’s story is a powerful reminder of the cruelty and inhumanity that can occur during war.
Zadorin, a Ukrainian Marine, became a symbol of courage after surviving nearly two years in Russian captivity.
His experience, marked by torture and abuse, shows the brutality many prisoners endure in conflict zones.
Zadorin, 25, was part of the Ukrainian defense of Snake Island in 2022. He was captured along with 80 other soldiers a month after arriving on the island.
His story of survival in Russian prisons is harrowing. For 679 days, he faced unimaginable physical and psychological abuse.
He was repeatedly beaten in the kidneys and genitals. Bottles were smashed over his head. Needles were shoved under his fingernails.
He was connected to electricity and forced to endure other forms of torture.
His time in captivity included forced participation in humiliating activities, such as singing the Russian anthem.
The conditions in the prisons were horrific. Zadorin recalls being placed in industrial dryers, forced to eat moldy bread, and even having to catch mice and eat toilet paper to survive.
The psychological torment was just as severe. Prisoners, including Zadorin, were coerced into making false confessions.
They were told to say they were affiliated with NATO. Some prisoners were tortured to the point of death, and families later learned that their loved ones had died with missing organs.
Zadorin shared that some prisons were sites of even worse violence, including castration and rape.
Zadorin was finally released in January 2024, and after months of rehabilitation, he is beginning to heal both physically and mentally.
He wants the world to understand that his experience is not unique. Thousands of others are still enduring similar suffering in Russian captivity.
Zadorin appeals for solidarity and support for those who continue to fight for their survival.
