A resident of Kurakhovo spent two weeks in Russian captivity but managed to escape despite having a broken leg.

The story of this man was told by “Suspilne Donbas”.

Oleg is 58 years old. According to him, in the summer, Russian troops began to constantly shell Kurakhovo, which forced him to live in the basement of a multi-story building. By autumn, the city had completely lost electricity and communication. Humanitarian aid, Oleg says, was also not being delivered to the city.

Despite the advancing front lines and constant shelling, the man did not want to leave the city, as he was taking care of his and his neighbors' property. Oleg shared that his house was destroyed by an air bomb, but by that time evacuation from the city had stopped.

Russian troops entered the city unexpectedly, Oleg says. He was captured by the occupiers along with his neighbor.

“We were crossing an intersection when we heard: ‘Stop.’ We halted. We approached, and a door opened: ‘Come in.’ We went inside. And the first phrase there was: ‘Welcome to the Russian world,’” Oleg recounted to the journalists.

After spending two weeks in captivity, the man decided to escape. He jumped out of the window of one of the houses but broke his leg in the process. He then made it to another nearby house, found a mop, and used it to try to reach the Ukrainian military. Eventually, he was picked up by another civilian leaving Kurakhovo in his own car. However, the Russians opened fire on them.

“They shot out two wheels, and then a third one. And with three flat tires, we left the city… There was no longer a question of fear; there was no choice,” Oleg explained.

Later, the man managed to reach the positions of the Defense Forces. A few days later, he was taken to one of the hospitals in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where he is currently receiving treatment. Oleg added that he wants to return to liberated Kurakhovo and help rebuild the city.