Captain Valentina Strutynska feared the worst when she was taken from her cell after five months in Russian captivity. It was only when her handcuffs and blindfold were removed much later and the shouts of “Glory to Ukraine!” rang out that she realised she was home.
The Ukrainian marine was one of 215 prisoners released in September, the largest exchange since Vladimir Putin launched his full-blown invasion in February. She and two other Ukrainians who were captured during the desperate fight for the city of Mariupol in the early months of the conflict have told their stories to the Financial Times.
They provide insights into one of the key battles of the war’s early phase, — when several thousand fighters and scores of civilians retreated into the giant Azovstal steel works in wretched conditions as it was pounded by Russian forces — and a glimpse into how Moscow treats prisoners of war.