"They treated us like animals": released marine Dianov describes abuse in Russian forces' captivity

The fighter told it in an interview with Sky News, reports "Espreso.West" reports.

Mykhailo Dianov was one of those who were kept by the occupiers in the colony in Olenivka in the occupied part of Donetsk region.  The military calls this place a concentration camp and tells how the invaders brutally treated prisoners from Azovstal.

 "They treated us like animals. It was impossible to eat. They gave us 30 seconds to eat. In 30 seconds we had to eat everything we could. The bread was deliberately very hard, the guys who had their teeth knocked out didn't have time to eat. This was 30 seconds, and then you had to stop. Then you had to immediately get up and run. That was the whole time," Dianov said.

According to him, some prisoners were thrown into solitary confinement and tortured for picking up a berry from the ground and eating it. They were beaten with sticks, used with stun guns and had needles stuck under their nails.

"Believe me, after a month of fasting, when you close your eyes, you forget about your family, your country, everything. The only thing you think about is food," Dianov said.

At the same time, the occupiers kept more people in the prison than it can accommodate. Instead of 150 in the block - 800. Due to the constant presence in the incredible crowd, Mykhailo began to have problems with his legs - now it is difficult for him to walk.

During the four months of his stay in Russian captivity, the defender lost 40 kg, and his health deteriorated significantly. The fact that the Russians almost did not provide the necessary medical care to wounded prisoners also caused enormous damage to health. At the time of his capture, Dianov's right arm was broken. Russians performed the operation with the help of pliers and without anesthesia. During his time in captivity, due to the lack of medical care, the bone grew in a semicircle.

He now needs to gain 20kg before he can have corrective surgery on his arm. And the improvement of the mental state, most likely, will take much longer.

"Everyone is traumatized. I consider myself a mentally strong person, but many things have lost their value for me," Mykhailo Dianov emphasized.