Heartbreaking before and after photos of tortured Ukrainian soldiers following 2 year Russian captivity

Before and after images of captured Ukrainian soldiers have revealed the immense torture and starvation they experienced in Russian captivity before they were released.

Some had lost as much as 40kg of their body weight.

Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in a statement that 103 prisoners of war (PoW) had been released.

Those freed include defenders of the Azovstal Steel Plant in Mariupol at the start of the full-scale war in 2022, military personnel, police officers and border guards.

In photos taken by the prisoners before captivity, all three men, who agreed to be pictured, are shown smiling, with their faces much fuller and cheeks rosy.

After two years of imprisonment, prisoners have returned home ‘absolutely exhausted’ and almost emaciated after losing between 20kg and 40kg, according to Kyiv Post.

Their collarbones are sticking out and their eyes are almost hollow. Their bellies are sunken, and shoulders and hip joints clearly visible under their pale skin.

Photographer Kostiantyn Liberov shared the images on Instagram as part of his series documenting the abuse that Ukrainian PoWs have endured.

‘In the photos, you see Ukrainian soldiers who returned from Russian captivity a few days ago after being held for more than two years,’ he said.

‘These are those who agreed to be photographed.

‘We are writing this in English because people in Ukraine already know that Russia is violating the Geneva Convention and is keeping our prisoners in inhumane conditions.

‘The photos are evidence of that, and with this publication, we aim once again to draw the attention of the Western audience and emphasise: Russia tortures, abuses, and starves those who were simply defending their homes.

‘Russia denies international commissions access to its prisoner-of-war camps, clearly to hide evidence of Geneva Convention violations.

‘Meanwhile, Russian soldiers in Ukrainian captivity improve their health under constant medical supervision and gain weight thanks to a balanced diet (you can find evidence of this even in this profile).

‘On the other hand, Ukrainians return home absolutely exhausted and 20, 30, even 40 kilograms lighter.’

The prisoner swap on Saturday is the eighth of its kind since the beginning of 2024, and puts the total number of PoWs exchanged at 1,994.