Testimony

“I felt like a criminal”: a Ukrainian journalist recounts his escape from Donbass by Russia

A banner representing the skull of Russian President Vladimir Putin behind Ukrainian flags, next to the Russian Embassy, ​​on December 8, 2022 in Riga, Latvia (photo illustration).

AFP - GINTS IVUSKANS

Text by: Anne Verdaguer Follow

4 mins

The war in Ukraine, which began just a year ago, has pushed many Ukrainians on the roads of exile.

And some had no choice but to go through Russia to reach Europe.

This is the case of journalist Yaroslav Galchenko, 26, met in Riga.

He recounts his journey from the Luhansk region to the Latvian capital.

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RFI: How were the first weeks under Russian occupation?

Yaroslav Galchenko:

I come from a small town in the Luhansk region which was occupied from March 2, 2022 by Russian forces.

An occupation is akin to a hunt for patriots, journalists, and all those who are pro-Ukrainian.

People were chased into their cellars, they were put a bag over their heads, then they were tortured, beaten... But they weren't killed, probably so that it would serve as an example and take away the desire to protest against this occupation.

Because of my profession, I understood that I could be a target, and that they were already looking for us.

I hid for two months.

I knew what had

and I feared for my life and that of my relatives.

The Luhansk region was already cut off from the rest of Ukraine and the only way I had to escape my country was through Russia.

I passed through the first checkpoint, on the Ukrainian side, then I arrived at Russian customs, where two agents from the FSB, the secret services, were waiting for me...

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How was this interrogation? 

You have to imagine a very cramped space of 2 m².

One was taking notes, the other was questioning me by asking the same questions several times to trick me.

I said I was going to visit my brother in Moscow.

They searched my things, and at one o'clock in the morning, they noticed that I had a sheet on me.

I realized how stupid I had been to take it….

They accused me of wanting to run away.

They also searched my laptop, whose history I had carefully erased.

But I had kept a conversation with a friend who lives in Canada and I had also looked at the weather in Latvia, so they immediately questioned me and again accused me of wanting to go to foreign.

I denied it and my interrogation ended like this… They told me to leave and let me wait for 23 hours before releasing me.

This is where I had to deal with the Russian police.

It was the most difficult moment for me.

It was very humiliating.

Psychologically.

The agent asked me why I didn't like my country and why I was running away, he humiliated Ukraine and pro-Ukrainians, and asked me if I was ready to fight alongside Russia to fight these "Nazis of Ukrainians".

I had to listen to all this in silence.

Did you already know where you were going? 

No, not at that time.

I managed to reach Moscow where I have friends and from there I decided to go by bus to Warsaw.

Only, there were no tickets for sale, so I bought a ticket for Riga.

I stayed several days in Russia, and I was so intimidated at the border that I felt like a criminal: I was afraid that someone would come to arrest me, that someone would burst into the apartment.

I was hiding, I was not talking to anyone. 

I finally took the bus to Latvia, but we were stopped before reaching the border by a police patrol.

They asked all Ukrainians to give them their papers.

There, I understood that my trip was probably over.

The police entered the bus silently, their eyes filled with anger, and we were kept from 2:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., we couldn't go out, go to the bathroom, drink or eat.

Then, we were given back our papers and we left for Latvia.

How did you feel when you crossed the border?

I finally felt free, I had managed to escape all this, this occupation and yes, I was finally going to be safe!

And then I said "Long live Ukraine!"

and the whole bus shouted with me: there were probably 80% Ukrainians on the bus, the rest were Russians fleeing their country.

I even had the impression that the air was cleaner, more breathable once I arrived in Latvia.

Then when we arrived in Riga, I immediately noticed Ukrainian flags everywhere.

And for me, it was a symbol of welcome, moral support.

I had not seen the flag of my country fly in the wind for two months.

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