Do you all remember the video of the young Ukrainian soldier released from captivity, hugging his mother but unable to speak a word?

"This is a concentration camp." The story of a marine who was silent in russian captivity for a year

Yuriy Gulchuk silently looked at the delicious and nutritious food that was brought to him on a tray to the ward of the Oleksandriv Hospital in Kyiv. The 22-year-old marine could not eat it. He didn't have the strength to raise his hand and take the spoon. He also hardly spoke.

This continued for several days after his release from captivity on September 14, 2024. At that time, Ukraine managed to return 152 of its citizens within the framework of two exchanges in a row.

"When I found out how much time, effort and how many people it took to free me from captivity, I felt uncomfortable,"
he later said in an interview with BBC Ukraine.

Yuriy's footage in the arms of Milana Kompaniets's mother flew around almost all Ukrainian and many foreign media immediately after returning to Ukraine. At that time, he was practically unable to communicate.

His first words to his mother, which she conveyed, were:
“Why are people so cruel to each other? Why so much pain? Why so many lies?”

Read more (it’s in Ukrainian, please to translate them through the apps on your gadgets)

@ukrainejournal