His teeth were pulled out with pliers, and the second time – simply knocked out. And this is not even the most horrifying thing he described. Imagine a man who weighed 95 kilograms – 209 pounds. And then dropped to 59 kilograms – 130 pounds. Not because he lost weight – but because this is how he was "kept." This is Yevhen Chudnetsov. An Azov fighter. A man who was in Russian captivity twice – and survived. The first time, he was captured in Shyrokyne. From February 2015 until December 2017. Almost three years. After the exchange, he returned to his unit. Then – Mariupol. Then – Azovstal. And captivity again. He was released only in May 2023. He speaks about rehabilitation calmly, almost matter-of-factly: "I barely went through rehabilitation. For me, the best rehabilitation is to return to my duties. Because the war won't win itself." And now – the part that makes your blood run cold. The first time, his teeth were pulled out with pliers. The second time – they were simply knocked out. The drastic weight loss caused hormonal problems. A broken arm. A broken leg. Nine broken ribs. And scars on his arms and legs – from the handcuffs they used to suspend him. He was in Olenivka. Not in the barracks where the explosion happened – in the one next to it. He remembers several explosions. At first, they thought the administrative building had been hit. But when the fire started, from the second floor they could see: it was the industrial zone. That same barracks. The explosion was so powerful that pieces of roofing flew all the way to them. Chudnetsov says a thermobaric charge was used inside. He believes it was no accident. It was a demonstrative execution. Medical assistance – zero. On the guards' faces – not a trace of surprise. They knew. Our men begged them to let the combat medics out. They refused. Only an hour to an hour and a half later did they allow medics from the 55th hospital to come out. The ambulances arrived toward morning. When there was almost no point in coming anymore. The treatment of Azov fighters was different. They received three times more beatings than everyone else. And Azov medics – even more. The reason? Propaganda. The Russians invent their own stories – and then believe them themselves. There is almost no information in captivity. The only "truth" is whatever the interrogator or the FSB decides to tell you. If he is in a good mood – he tells you something. If he is in a bad mood – he says nothing. Whether it is true or a lie – you have no way of knowing. He learned about the exchange on the day of the exchange. An hour before it happened – interrogation, protocols they did not even allow him to read. During the night, they began opening cells and calling out names. When they opened his – he heard his name. The road home: plane, bus. And the fear of allowing yourself to be happy. Because this could have been not an exchange, but simply another prison transfer. He thought he would be there for at least three years. And still, he does not consider himself a hero. He simply returned to do his job. "The war won't win itself," he says. Five words from a man who was tortured twice. Read them again. Because while someone says they are "tired of the war," this man, without his teeth and with broken ribs, returned to service. He is not tired. And we, all the more, have no right to be. Source: translated from the text by Bairak Oleh