Survivor of Russian labor camps testifies before International Criminal Court
In late October 2025, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague formally accepted the testimony of Olena Yagupova.
She is a resident of Kameanka-Dniprovska who survived abduction, torture, and forced labor during the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia region.
Her harrowing account, first documented by The Insider, provides a detailed map of the systematic abuse occurring in occupied Ukraine.
Arbitrary detention and systematic torture
Yagupova was detained in October 2022 without a warrant or formal charges. Her primary "offense" was her past employment in a public institution and her husband’s service in the Ukrainian military.
During her detention, she was subjected to mock executions, suffocation with plastic bags, and electrical shocks.
She identified her chief tormentor as Ian Viacheslavovici Zanevskii, an FSB operative who forced her into domestic servitude and sexual exploitation.
The reality of modern labor camps
In January 2023, the occupation authorities staged a fake "release" video for propaganda purposes. Instead of being freed, Yagupova was transferred to a forced labor camp.
Prisoners were forced to dig trenches and repair military fortifications under constant threat of death.
"In detention, the only goal was to survive one more day," Yagupova told investigators, describing the extreme cold and lack of medical care.
The long road to accountability
Yagupova managed to escape in March 2023 after a fellow prisoner successfully contacted relatives, drawing unwanted media attention to the camp.
Following a grueling journey through Russia and the Baltics, she returned to Ukraine in late April 2023. She immediately began working with authorities to identify her captors.
Her efforts led to a 12-year sentence in absentia for the FSB officer involved. She also helped identify "Batman"—real name Roman Vnukov—a human trafficker who facilitated prisoner transfers.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
