A Ukrainian political prisoner burst into tears after his return home after seven years in a Russian colony. Kostiantyn Davidenko finally set foot on Ukrainian soil on 24 August as part of the 68th prisoner exchange.

Serving such a long sentence is remarkable, as many prisoners die in Russian captivity within a year or two due to lack of medical care, torture with electric shocks, and the absence of adequate food.

Long captivity and an unjust sentence

On 11 February 2018, the Russian FSB detained Davidenko in Simferopol. On 6 June 2019, the so-called “Supreme Court” of Crimea sentenced him to 10.5 years in a high-security colony, accusing him of spying for Ukraine, UkrInform reports.

Russian intelligence claimed he was allegedly gathering information on the activities of Russian National Guard units and FSB personnel.

A vital signal for other political prisoners

“This is an important signal for others who have lost hope and waited for years — you will come home,” Ihor Kotelyanets, head of the NGO Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, emphasizes. 

He adds that hundreds of Ukrainians imprisoned in Russia since 2014 still need to be rescued, including Hennadiy Lymeshko, Halyna Dovhopola, Valentyn Vyhivskyi, Volodymyr Yakymenko, Victor Shur, and the Abdullaiev brothers.

Davidenko’s words upon return

Stepping onto Ukrainian soil, Davidenko said, “Ukraine is bringing its people home. But many others, imprisoned in Russia since 2014, 2015, or 2016, are still there. They need to be here.”

This exchange is further proof that Ukraine is systematically working to return its citizens from captivity, including those unlawfully imprisoned before the all-out war.