Ukraine recently recaptured the city of Izium. This led to various allegations of atrocities by the Russian military resurfacing again. There are many stories. One of them includes a group of Sri Lankans. The Russian soldiers also took them captive for months on end.
Dilujan is one of the survivors of this atrocity. There was a group of seven Sri Lankans. He was one of them. They were also walking from Kupiansk to Kharkiv. It was 120 kilometers away. The Russian soldiers also captured them at the first checkpoint.
The soldiers blindfolded them and had their hands tied. They also took them to a factory in Vovchansk. They were in the factory for four long months. However, the soldiers used them as forced labor and kept them as prisoners. The soldiers tortured the Sri Lankans as well.
The group included students or people who came to Ukraine looking for jobs. They survived on very little food. They also had bathroom access for 2 minutes a day. On select occasions, they had access to a shower for 2 minutes only. The men were separately kept in one room. The woman was in another room.
The woman was already suffering the effects of war. She got involved in a car bomb accident in Sri Lanka. It left her with burns on her face. She also suffered from a heart condition. She was all alone, and it took a hit on her mental health as well.
There were more signs of physical torture among the young men in their 20s. Some of them had their toenails torn off by pliers. The drunk soldiers beat them for no reason at all. They also got punched and physically abused for months.
The group got their freedom when the Ukrainian military took over. The Sri Lankans later went to a rehabilitation center. They were able to connect with their families as well. The Russians have continued to deny these allegations of atrocities.
Credits: BBC
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