Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many are striving to overcome deep-seated trauma and rebuild what was lost. The trauma for many predates the invasion, tied to conflict beginning in Ukraine’s south and east, including the Donetsk region, in 2014. Yurii Shapovalov, living in Donetsk then and detained by Russian-installed authorities, spent nearly eight years in captivity. Now free, he is trying to restart his life.
“In a tiny cell, I tried to do physical exercises,” Yurii said. “But mentally, it was very difficult. The conditions were too much to bear.” Before the conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Yurii worked as a neurophysiologist at the Donetsk Regional Diagnostics Centre. In his spare time, he ran the local Cactus Enthusiasts Society and cared for his elderly mother.
When pro-Russian forces seized control of Donetsk, Yurii and his mother stayed, unable to imagine leaving their home. He began documenting daily life in Donetsk through an anonymous social media account, a small act of protest with significant consequences. In 2018, he was arrested. “I was beaten and forced to work,” he said. For months, his mother did not know where he was, lacking basic necessities and wearing winter shoes in summer heat.
In 2020, he was sentenced to 13 years in a penal colony. “I told myself I had to preserve who I was – not to succumb, not to break, to hold on,” Yurii said. There were losses he could not prepare for. “My mother didn’t get to see me come back,” he said. “She passed away.” Yurii also lost the life he had built. His extensive collection of cacti was left behind, later moved by friends to the Donetsk Botanical Garden in hopes of preserving some plants. “By then, there was nothing left of my previous life.”
In the summer of 2025, Yurii was released through a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. After initial support at a public hospital, he was referred to the International Migration Agency’s (IOM) Protection Medical Rehabilitation Centre in Kyiv, a specialized facility for survivors of human trafficking and violence. There, doctors identified his urgent health needs and facilitated further cardiological and neurological treatment.
Since 2024, IOM Ukraine has identified and supported over 4,700 survivors of war-related violence, including civilian survivors of captivity like Yurii. “Many need long-term treatment,” said Olha Shcherbatiuk, IOM National Rehabilitation Centre Officer. Beyond medical care, IOM supports long-term recovery through survivor-led groups and initiatives addressing war-related abuses.
“Maybe I did manage to preserve myself,” Yurii reflected. After years in captivity, everyday tasks became unfamiliar. “Using a phone, an elevator, even the subway felt difficult,” he explained. Former colleagues, who left Donetsk years earlier, were among the first to support him, tracking down and verifying his training and employment records. Only then will he take refresher courses and return to work, hopefully as a child neurologist.
When asked what brings him joy now, Yurii paused. “Having my own place,” he said. “Time to be alone, to think, to put things in order,” and to nurture cacti once again.
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