The Ukrainians Trapped in Russia’s New “Gulag”

Background: A Growing Humanitarian Crisis

Even if diplomatic negotiations eventually bring a cease‑fire, the plight of Ukrainian civilians detained in Russian prisons remains a daunting challenge. Thousands of men, women, and children are held in facilities that human rights groups describe as a modern‑day gulag, where basic rights are routinely denied.

A Prisoner’s Story

Serhiy Kovalenko, a 34‑year‑old electrician from Kharkiv, was captured during the early days of the invasion. After a brief, opaque legal process, he was transferred to a remote detention center in the Russian interior, far from his family and the front lines.

“I woke up in a cold, concrete cell with no windows,” Serhiy recounts. “The guards spoke to us in Russian, but they didn’t care about our language or our story. We were just numbers to them.”

Living Conditions Inside the Facility

The prison, unofficially dubbed the “New Gulag” by former detainees, is characterized by:

• Overcrowding: Cells designed for two inmates often hold four or five.
• Insufficient food: Meals consist of thin soups and stale bread, providing barely enough calories.
• Lack of medical care: Chronic illnesses go untreated, and injuries from fights or poor sanitation are left to heal on their own.
• Psychological pressure: Interrogations are conducted without legal counsel, and threats of extended sentences are common.

International Response

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross, have condemned the conditions as violations of the Geneva Conventions. “These detainees are being subjected to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment,” said a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office.

What a Peace Deal Would Need to Address

Any future peace agreement must incorporate concrete mechanisms to:

1. Secure the immediate release of all civilian prisoners.
2. Establish an independent monitoring commission to verify compliance.
3. Provide reparations and psychological support to survivors.
4. Guarantee that former detention sites are investigated for war crimes.

Looking Ahead

For Serhiy and countless others, the hope of returning home hinges on more than just a cease‑fire; it requires a robust, enforceable framework that prioritizes human rights. As one former inmate put it, “Freedom is not just the end of the war; it’s the end of the suffering that follows.”