The story of Oleksandr Zhuhan from Romny, who was killed in captivity.
Alla Zhuhan from Romny in Sumy Oblast lost her husband after he was released from Russian captivity. Oleksandr Zhugan died from the severe consequences of torture he suffered while in captivity. On the morning of 3 March 2022, Oleksandr went to one of the nearby checkpoints, where he and other local defence forces were preparing Molotov cocktails for defence. Molotov cocktails were found in the boot of his car, which was enough to arrest him.
Since then, all contact with him was lost. Alla did not know where he was for weeks, until on 26 April she was informed by the Coordination Headquarters that Oleksandr was in captivity. It later became known that he was held in several places, including a colony in the city of Donskoy, Tula Region, Russian Federation. A witness who was released during the exchange said that Oleksandr was kept separately, blindfolded and with his hands tied, subjected to daily beatings, especially to the head, and forced to sign documents and record a video message. He refused, and for this he was beaten even more brutally.
On 4 February 2023, Oleksandr was exchanged. He returned exhausted, having lost 18 kilograms, with severe consequences from the beatings. After three months of treatment and rehabilitation, he died on 26 April 2023. Doctors listed the cause of death as brain failure due to injuries sustained. Oleksandr Zhuhan, born in 1977, had no military training or experience and worked in construction. His story is yet another testimony to the deadly torture that Russian security forces inflict on Ukrainian civilians.
The documentation of war crimes is carried out with the financial support of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC). The views and conclusions expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the NHC. Photo provided by Alla Zhugan. The association systematically documents war crimes, works to free civilians and supports their families.
