Special operation frees five Ukrainians from Russian torture chamber near Kherson

A unique Ukrainian special intelligence operation was carried successfully by special officers of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense in the occupied territory of Kherson Region.

Five Ukrainian citizens who were being held captive by Russian occupiers in a torture chamber were released. One of them is a serviceman, another is a former police officer, and the others are civilians. One of the freed has a severe combat wound.

All five were tortured by Russian militants who demanded money for their release from captivity. They are all under the care of the Ukrainian authorities and receiving appropriate treatment.

The secret torture chamber run by Russians in Kherson Region was carefully guarded and torture was used to extort money from the relatives of captives.

Andriy, a soldier and a former captive, was interviewed by Ukrainian 1+1 TV channel.

Andriy was wounded several times during the battle for the Antoniv bridge in Kherson. He escaped from hospital just hours before the arrival of Russian occupiers and spent more than two months in hiding with the help of patriotic Ukrainians in Kherson.

Andriy did not know that a former high-ranking policeman was held next to him. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he was offered a career in the occupation administration. When he refused, Russians began to extort money for his release. “First they beat you, then they use electric shocks. No-one can stand it. People were tortured. When the Russians were upset, they came to have fun – to torture prisoners. I heard screams, sometimes single shots,” he says.

Ukrainian special agents also understood the prisoners would be executed and decided to enter the village, destroy the occupiers and free the Ukrainians.

The building was mined from all sides but the special unit quickly made a passage through the mine fence and approached the house. The team quickly destroyed the guard outside and the Russians inside the house.

Despite the success of this operation, thousands of Ukrainians in occupied Kherson Region still await liberation.

Here is a video clip posted by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine about the operation.