East SOS journalist Denys Matsola is one of Battalion No. 501 marines deceived into imprisonment

Marines from Battalion No. 501, including human rights activist, journalist, and publicist Denys Matsola, were deceived and taken prisoner while defending Mariupol, reports Krym.Realii, citing the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

As the news outlet notes, in April 2022, Russian resources reported that the marines had voluntarily surrendered in besieged Mariupol. In May 2023, the SBI issued a suspicion notice for treason to one of the Battalion No. 501 commanders. According to the investigation, the soldiers were ordered to relocate, but were instead transported to the occupied part of the Donbas. Since the service members were deceived, they were not and could not have been aware that they were surrenderring illegally, the SBI said in a statement.

Denys Matsola. Photo by East SOS

The battalion abandoning its positions without leave was confirmed to Krym.Realii by the Naval Forces Commander, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neyizhpapa. Howerver, he added that all the details must be clarified.

As reported, 277 marines from Battalion No. 501, including Denys Matsola, were captured by the Russians then.

The Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR) also confirms the conclusion that the soldiers were deceived. The organization was contacted by relatives and friends of the POWs. They did not understand why the service members had left their combat positions and were captured. The state considered this a voluntary surrender, and the families received no financial support for almost a year since then, says MIHR documentarian Maria Klymyk.

"They (the Battalion No. 501 soldiers. – Ed.) were promised that no one would be hurt. Later, when they exited their positions, they realized that something was wrong, that they were not going to rescue anyone, nor doing any break through, nor evacuating, because the Russian Armed Forces and “DPR” troops were already meeting them on the other side," said Maria Klymyk.

The captured Ukrainian marines were taken to a prison in Olenivka, which is in the occupied part of Donetsk oblast. They were the first prisoners there, says Maria Klymyk.

“It was not equipped to accomodate so many people at all, and not equipped to accomodate anyone in general. There were no beds, no water, no food — nothing. And they stayed there until early May, when the entire 'Illich' plant was taken over,” says Maria Klymyk.

In April 2022, the transportation of Ukrainian prisoners of war to other prisons began. Some were moved to occupied Horlivka, some to Taganrog and Stary Oskol in Russia. Many ended up in colony No. 1 in the Tula region.

“This is one of the most brutal detention facilities. According to our data, at least four Battalion No. 501 service members were tortured there. They were also transferred to Mordovia, to colony No. 10 of the Republic of Mordovia. They are in Kineshma. Kineshma is also one of such brutal places of detention. In April 2023, the body of a tortured marine from brigade No. 36 was brought back from there,” said Maria Klymyk.

Earlier, the charity foundation East SOS and several other human rights organizations, activists, and media workers called on citizens to sign a petition demanding the rescue of the Ukrainian prisoner of war, human rights activist, journalist, and publicist Denys Matsola from Russian imprisonment.