The Russians thought they had broken Junior Sergeant Ruslan Myronenko’s. Instead, he broke them — and came back alive, according to the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade.
Russia holds over 16,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians in detention across Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, though the exact number is unknown due to Russia’s lack of transparency. Conditions for Ukrainian POWs in Russian captivity are dire and characterized by systematic and widespread torture, reported by over 95% of released prisoners.
Ruslan was captured near Hornal, in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, while carrying out a combat mission. He was held in a basement for nine days — barely fed, subjected to psychological pressure.
“If you return, your own will shoot you,” they told him.
But Ruslan didn’t believe a single word.
“Half the enemies were wounded — our artillery was hammering them. They had no time for me. They were just trying to survive. Complaining about their commanders, saying they were being thrown in like meat,” the paratrooper recalls.
Ruslan carefully memorized the route, observed Russian positions, and waited for the right moment. One morning, while his guards were asleep, he escaped and made his way across enemy territory. Intuition, resilience, and the will to see his three children again led him back to the Ukrainian lines.
“I believed I’d see my family again. That gave me strength,” says Ruslan.
Interestingly, after his return, Russian propaganda published a fake video claiming the paratrooper was still in captivity. In reality, Myronenko was already preparing for his next combat mission, laughing at Russia’s lies with his comrades.