The Ukrainian marine infantryman endured nine months of physical and psychological torture as a Russian prisoner of war, but was allotted only three months of rest and rehabilitation before being ordered back to his unit.
The infantryman, who asked to be identified only by his call sign, Smiley, returned to duty willingly.
But it was only when he underwent intensive combat training in the weeks after that the depth and range of his injuries, both psychological and physical, began to surface.
“I started having flashbacks, and nightmares,” he said.
Ukraine is just beginning to understand the lasting effects of the traumas its prisoners of war experienced in Russian captivity, but it has been failing to treat them properly and returning them to duty too early, say former prisoners, officials and psychologists familiar with individual cases.
Persons:
Smiley, ”, “
Locations:
Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine