Released from captivity, former mayor of Kherson Volodymyr Mykolaienko shared memories of torture, psychological pressure, and the occupiers’ proposals for him to head the city administration. He spoke about this in an interview with Most.
Source: Censor.NET
According to him, the Russians systematically tortured him, threatened him with execution, and forced him to participate in propaganda videos. Beatings continued in Sevastopol and Voronezh, and his health condition was critical.
The occupiers offered Mykolaienko to become the “governor” instead of the traitor Volodymyr Saldo, but he refused: “The main goal was to coerce me into cooperation… they promised that after this I would recognize the new authorities.”
The former mayor said he feared public provocations before May 9, prepared for possible staged appearances, and even tried to inflict bruises on himself so as not to appear “loyal.”
He also recalled that guards in Russian prisons forced prisoners to cover their faces with T-shirts so they could not see the guards’ faces.
Mykolaienko admitted that he could have been exchanged earlier but refused, so that dozens of Russian soldiers would not be released in exchange for him: “I knew I would not be able to look into the eyes of the parents of our boys held captive.”