Olena
Yagupova

“She was filmed by Russian media as ‘freed,’ then forced into labor and raped.”

Olena Yagupova was betrayed by her neighbors in the occupied territory due to her pro-Ukrainian stance. She spent eight months in Russian captivity, including four months in a detention center where she was repeatedly abused by Russian soldiers.

After six months in detention, Russian media filmed a report about her supposed release to Ukrainian territory. However, after the footage was aired on federal channels, Olena was instead forced into labor slavery with two dozen others. She was made to dig trenches for the Russian army on the second line of defense, endured repeated rapes, and followed every order just to survive.