A Horlivka inhabitant freed from captivity: "I would like to find the person who had let on me, and make him or her go all the way that I went, all 270 days ..."

When you look at a man on whose eyes rare men's tears sprang up, you know that the caused memories are a storm of emotions and it is not always possible to put them into words. It is difficult to imagine that a person which was in captivity for 270 days feels.
 
- When one evening they came to me in my cell and told me I'm released, I did not believe. After all, they can not be trusted. When walking through the corridors and getting in some rooms I thought that I will be replaced somewhere. I not fully understood after reading a document according to which I come under to an exchange. But when I had seen the bus "Iveco" on the street I realized that it was not a lie.
 
It was the bus that has been etched in memory of Vadim Petrenko, inhabitant of the town of Horlivka, who listened eagerly to the news about releasing Ukrainian prisoners on Russian TV broadcasting in the Donetsk remand prison cell where he was replaced from the security department of Horlivka and after accusation of espionage.

On June, 19 last year, armed men in camouflage clothes came to the company "Transammiak" where Petrenko worked, and after calling his name he was taken away from the workplace. At that moment, the man did not understand where and why he was being taken, moreover his eyes were blindfolded, and those men did not answer all his questions.

A little later Vadim got word that he was suspected of spying.

- By my occupation I often crossed the checkpoints either they belong to DPR or Ukraine forces, because the ammonia line which we serve lays in both territories. And I had to carry the documents and necessary equipment to support the operation of the ammonia line, - says Vadim.

He suggests that some of the employees who did not like his pro-Ukrainian position expressed by him pronouncedly and often, simply "narced him down" to militants.

Vadim came to this conclusion on a number of questions that were asked him in Horlivka office of DPR security service. The questions were purely on his professional activity, where and what he transported, with whom was he talking, what was he doing there, for what he transported devices to calibrate them. All those inquiries were accompanied by brutal beatings the purpose of which was to suppress the will to resist and to force him to sign a "confession on espionage".

- I'm an ordinary person, I feel all the same emotions that normal people. And when you are led in the "fun" room, how the torture room was called by militants, they begin clamping your fingers with tools and six men together beat you, it will be done all that is required from you.

After one of such "fun" dialogues they have broken ribs to Vadim and slaughtered his leg that swelled right before his eyes, and eventually became black as a poker. Plus, all his chronic diseases and diseases acquired while serving in Afghanistan have become aggravated: cryptogenic hepatitis, cirrhosis, heart condition, high blood pressure, and many others. But no one did not care.

Several times Vadim was taken out to be shot. And it was only a simulation, but at first he did not understand it, and each time parted with life in his mind. After some time, he even gave up to such "executions" having studied their methods of affecting on mentality.

The man reminds that the worst time was precisely in Horlivka security department of the DPR where endless torments continued. Vadim realized that he was dealing with the Russian military men which communicate with each other and called each other only by call signs: "Sibiryak", "Olkhon". Later, he learned that Olkhon is a district in the Zabaikalye Territory. Those call signs and accent unusual for our region talked about who and where these people are.  Once he was led into the torture chamber by the man who presented himself as a Russian officer by name of Aslan.

- There was no help or sympathy from those people. For what did they came? To carry out their work for money, so what to expect from them - he argues. - The only thing I would like to find the person who basely denounced me, and not to kill him or her, but get to go all the way that I went, all 270 days ...
In Donetsk, Petrenko was in jail already as an ordinary prisoner, and there were no beatings and abuses. The cell contained ordinary civilians who were also charged with espionage.
 
Vadim says about them discreetly, because he does not want to harm them and believe that they will be released, too. "We every day waited and believed that one day we will forget this all as a nightmare. It is impossible not to believe here, otherwise you can just go crazy. "

And that day has come. In the evening a guard came, called the surname of Vadim and said that he was to pick up his things ... This as the end of those incredibly long 270 days of captivity.

- Already in our territory, when I saw the Ukrainian military men, my heart was pounding so that it seemed about to jump out, - Vadim reminds wiping moistened eyes with his hand, and puts into words his gratitude to people who helped him to return home.

Then the prisoned men (it has managed to release from captivity with Vadim the Ukrainian scouts Grigoriy Zavizion and Petr Eroshevich) were formed in column and was told to go to the demarcation line.

Then it was a command "Exchange!". The men have been compared with their photos, and then there were arms of the Ukrainian fighters and other strangers, bright light, journalists and native land ...

Now Vadim is in hospital in Kiev, where he passes diagnostic study, then there will be treatment, and he should recover his documents which have not been returned by militants. Further it will be a usual peaceful life and favorite work to which he is going to return immediately after recovery.

Vadim really dreams to embrace his 74-year-old mother who is eager to go to Kiev to make sure that her dear son is alive.

Gorlovka.ua

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