‘I’d never heard of this type of torture before’ Human rights observer says Russia’s first monitoring mission in Ukraine documented the Kremlin’s evolving state terror system — Meduza
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In January 2025, Memorial Human Rights Center members visited Ukraine and conducted the first monitoring mission by Russian observers since the start of the full-scale invasion. They visited the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions, along with the cities of Poltava and Odesa. During the trip, Memorial’s team documented violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes committed by the Russian army. The group plans to present its findings later this spring. Meduza spoke with Memorial observer Vladimir Malykhin about what he saw in Ukraine and why the monitoring mission is crucial to improving our understanding of contemporary Russia.

In January 2025, Memorial Human Rights Center members visited Ukraine and conducted the first monitoring mission by Russian observers since the start of the full-scale invasion. They visited the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions, along with the cities of Poltava and Odesa. During the trip, Memorial’s team documented violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes committed by the Russian army. The group plans to present its findings later this spring. Meduza spoke with Memorial observer Vladimir Malykhin about what he saw in Ukraine and why the monitoring mission is crucial to improving our understanding of contemporary Russia.

  • sniggleboots@lemm.eeEnglish
    12·
    8 hours ago

    This part of the interview surprised me the most:

    There were times when people refused to talk at all. But in my opinion, this was not so much because we were from Russia but rather because it was just too painful for them to revisit those events and relive everything again mentally. I spoke with a man in a small town outside Mykolaiv, and he said, “I don’t have any particular hostility toward Russians — I lived in Moscow myself and studied there. But, sorry, I just can’t talk about this. It’s too painful.” I understand that.

    Of course, when they spoke about the [Russian soldiers] who came to their towns, they did so with deep hostility, verging on hatred. Sometimes, they used harsh words, calling them “orcs” or even worse. But quite often, when they used such words, they made it clear that they were not referring to us [Memorial’s staff]. In most cases, they distinguished between us and those who had come as occupiers.