On November 29, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Estonia hosted a meeting as part of the "BrakeTheFake" project with former prisoner of war and serviceman from Chernihiv, Oleksii Anulia. Oleksii spent 10 months in Russian captivity, from March 10 to December 31, 2022.
Representatives from the Ministry of Defence of Estonia, the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia, the Estonian Red Cross, the Estonian Institute of Human Rights, the Ukrainian Helsinki Union of Human Rights, Ukrainian civic organizations, Estonian media, and volunteers participated in the meeting.
Oleksii shared his personal story, recounting the horrors of Russian captivity, the trials he endured, and his life after being freed. His testimony shed light on the harrowing realities of inhumane detention conditions, torture, and the disregard for human dignity he experienced.
We are sincerely grateful to Oleksii for his courage and strength, which enabled him to speak to various audiences, including at the Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia. His testimony is not only a vital exposure of Russian war narratives but also a truthful account of the reality that reveals the true face of the aggressor.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Estonia, Maksym Kononenko, stated: "The Russian-Ukrainian war is the most well-documented war in the world. Hundreds of cameras and videos keep it in focus, and thousands of journalists report on it regularly. Nevertheless, our enemies find ways to distort the narrative of events and offer their own "vision," which, due to a lack of time, attention, or expertise, can become the primary and entrenched perspective for some. By infiltrating the fabric of reality, Russian specialists create such a web of manipulations that the average viewer or listener can easily get lost in it, failing to grasp the essence of what is truly happening.
How can this be countered? There are several approaches. One of the most effective is fact-checking and a detailed analysis of Russian disinformation campaigns to expose their inner workings and explain the dangers of Russian propaganda embedded in literature, music, theater productions, artistic and documentary films, and more. This is important and meticulous work carried out daily by hundreds of people. However, fact-checking and explaining the mechanics of propaganda are not enough. Just as dismantling a circus trick piece by piece is insufficient to dispel belief in magic, more is required to challenge deeply ingrained narratives.
Often, for a person to truly grasp reality, it is crucial to hear the testimonies of eyewitnesses - people who have personally experienced certain events and endured hardships. This is especially important when it comes to horrific matters such as killings, torture, abuse, and the mistreatment of prisoners of war and civilians in occupied territories. First-person storytelling—delivered by a trustworthy actor or witness - is a solid pillar of truth that cannot be easily diluted or denied. It is this powerful tool that we chose to use today to share the truth about the Russian-Ukrainian war and its horrifying reality."
Maksym Shcherbatiuk, a representative of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, drew the audience's attention to the issue of returning civilians deprived of their freedom due to armed aggression, or more concisely, civilian hostages. He emphasized that the process of returning civilians from Russian captivity is sometimes even more challenging than the release of military personnel. Russians subject civilian hostages to torture just as brutally as they do military captives.
This meeting served as an important platform for truthful exposure of the horrific realities of Russian aggression, personal stories of prisoners of war and hostages, as well as for discussing strategies to combat disinformation, which Russia uses as a weapon in its war against Ukraine.
The testimony of Oleksii Anulia, along with his courage and resilience, became a powerful example of the steadfastness of the Ukrainian people in the face of war. Such stories hold exceptional significance in the global context, as they not only shape public opinion but also contribute to exposing Russian crimes and restoring justice