Russia confirms death of Polish citizen tortured in Taganrog for alleged opposition to war

Russia has for the first time confirmed that Krzysztof Galos, a Polish national who never returned home after he travelled to Ukraine, died in a pre-trial detention centre in Taganrog, Russia, after he was detained for "opposing" the war.

Source: Polish media outlet Gazeta Wyborcza, citing an official response from Russia's Foreign Ministry received by Krzysztof's son

Details: The Russians claim that Galos died of "natural causes".

According to the official response, which was also sent to the Embassy of Poland in Moscow, Krzysztof was detained in Melitopol for "opposing the special military operation" (Moscow's term for the war against Ukraine) and later transferred to pre-trial detention centre No. 2 in Taganrog, where he died on 4 July 2023.

The cause of death was listed as "cardiomyopathy of unknown origin", which led to "cerebral oedema, pulmonary oedema and acute cardiovascular failure". Krzysztof was apparently buried in Taganrog, "with the costs covered by the Russian state".

The Russian authorities have also provided the location of the grave and details from the death certificate, which had not previously been sent to the Polish authorities.

Maciej Wewiór, spokesperson for Poland's Foreign Ministry, confirmed the media report and said that, contrary to applicable rules and consular agreements, the Russian authorities had not informed the Polish side of either the detention or the subsequent death of the Polish citizen.

Polish authorities are currently in contact with Krzysztof's family.

His son, Paweł Galos, said: "At this stage, the most important thing for our family is to ensure a dignified burial for my father and to obtain the death certificate. We are in constant contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has pledged to support us in obtaining this document and possibly bringing my father's remains back to this country."

Background:

• In January, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial reported the death of a 55-year-old Polish citizen in a detention centre in Taganrog. Krzysztof Galos had travelled to territories temporarily occupied by Russia in 2023 to see for himself whether the war was really happening.
• According to Slidstvo.Info, Ukrainian forces turned him back at a checkpoint in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, but he apparently found another way to reach occupied territory. He was detained by Russian forces in Enerhodar, then imprisoned and transferred to Russia.
• Former cellmates told journalists that Galos had been tortured because he did not know Russian and because of Poland's support for Ukraine. He was beaten on the legs until they failed, and later died.
• Viktoriia Roshchyna, a journalist and Ukrainska Pravda freelancer, was also held and severely tortured in the same detention centre.
• Investigative journalists established that Viktoriia died on 19 September 2024 in a detention centre in Perm Krai shortly after being transferred from Taganrog. She had been expected to return home that September as part of a prisoner exchange.
• Viktoriia had been unlawfully held in captivity since August 2023, after disappearing in Russian-occupied Enerhodar while working on a report about Russian torture sites.
• On 14 February 2025, Russia handed over her body, which was missing many organs.

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