Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia Maksym Kononenko participates in the opening of the "Prisoners of War" exhibition

The Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia, Maksym Kononenko, took part in the opening of the exhibition "Prisoners of War," which was held on April 25 at the Vabamu Museum in Tallinn.

The event was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, including Erika Ellamaa-Ots, Director of the Department for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Russia, and Gert Antsu, Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership. Representatives of civil society organizations - Yevgenia Chirikova (Activatica), Anastasia Shevchenko (Anti-War Committee), as well as members of Reforum Space Tallinn and the Ukrainian diaspora - also took part.

The photographs presented at the exhibition tell the stories of Ukrainian soldiers who survived Russian captivity and torture, revealing the brutality and barbarism of the aggressor and the extraordinary courage of those who endured. These images testify to gross violations of human rights and highlight the urgent need for international efforts to hold Russia accountable.

In his address, the Ambassador of Ukraine emphasized:

«In modern Russia, the core value is the greatness of the state — at any cost. Even at the cost of human life, dignity, and truth. Human beings are treated as expendable. Torture is tolerated. Violence is glorified. And executions are excused in the name of empire.

But Ukraine stands for something different. In our society, there is agreement: life, freedom, and dignity are the highest values. No political goal, no national ambition, can justify the loss of humanity. Without human dignity, there is no future - only fear and tyranny.

This difference explains what happens to Ukrainian prisoners of war. It explains why thousands of civilians are illegally detained in Russian prisons. It explains why Ukrainian children are taken and made to forget who they are.

We know these things are happening. Survivors tell their stories. Families speak out. In today’s world, you can’t hide mass atrocities. But what is even more disturbing - the Russian regime doesn’t even try. They use these crimes as weapons - of fear, of control, of psychological pressure.»

Following the official opening, the films "Prisoners" and "Voice from Captivity: Ukrainians in Russian Prisons" were screened.

The film "Prisoners" is a project by the media platform Activatica, focusing on Ukrainian civilian hostages captured by Russian security forces in the occupied territories.
 The reasons for arrest could be as trivial as having a photo of a Ukrainian flag on a phone or speaking the Ukrainian language. According to human rights activists, at least 15,000 Ukrainian civilian hostages are being held in Russian prisons - five times more than the total number of recognized political prisoners in Russia. The actual number of Ukrainians imprisoned in the occupied territories remains unknown.

The film "Voice from Captivity: Ukrainians in Russian Prisons" tells the story of hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war hold in Russian prisons under inhumane conditions.

Until recently, they were allowed to call their families only once a week - for just three minutes.

The documentary by the Dossier Center features real recordings of these conversations - the voices of those who survived and the words of their loved ones waiting for their return.

After the film screenings, everyone had the opportunity to write letters and sign postcards in support of Ukrainian prisoners of war who are still being held in Russian captivity.