Ruslan Zarianych

Ruslan Zarianych is a Ukrainian soldier who was captured while defending the port city of Mariupol and spent 2½ years in captivity in Russian jails, where he endured severe physical and psychological abuse. Released in a prisoner exchange in 2024, Zarianych has since spoken out about the brutal conditions faced by Ukrainian POWs and the pervasive propaganda that reinforced Russian militarism during his imprisonment. Now recovering and attending a rehabilitation course in Lviv, he reflects on the challenges of reintegrating occupied territories and the impact of Russian propaganda on the local population.