Russians transfer Ukrainian prisoners from occupied Makiivka to Russia

Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian political prisoners, as well as individuals convicted of criminal offences, have been transferred to Russia from penal colony No. 32 in occupied Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Novyny Donbasu (News of Donbas) news outlet

Details: According to the news outlet, some of the Ukrainian political prisoners and criminal convicts were transferred to strict-regime penal colony No. 1 in the city of Tambov. They were placed alongside Russian convicts serving their sentences there.

Another group of political prisoners and criminal convicts was moved to strict-regime colony No. 5 in the town of Morshansk, Tambov Oblast.

Several Ukrainian political prisoners remain in Makiivka penal colony No. 32 awaiting transfer to Russia. Their exact destination is currently unknown.

Meanwhile, about 100-120 convicts held in the settlement colony attached to penal colony No. 32 will remain in Makiivka for the winter period.

The transfer of prisoners from the Makiivka colony began in August 2026. The first to be taken to Russia were five Ukrainian servicemen and one civilian political prisoner.

The whereabouts of Ukrainian prisoner of war Vitalii Chmil, who was transferred from Makiivka in mid-August, have also become known. He was initially held in a pre-trial detention centre in Krasnoyarsk before being moved to strict-regime colony No. 1 in the city of Kyzyl in the Tyva Republic, near Russia's border with Mongolia.

The soldier was able to inform his relatives of his whereabouts with the help of Russian volunteers.

It is known that about 35 Ukrainian political prisoners and servicemen were held in colony No. 32, including five soldiers on the exchange lists.

Most of them have been in captivity for 7-9 years. The Russians sentenced them to 10 to 17 years in prison on charges of "espionage", "terrorism" and "extremism".

The administration of the Makiivka colony cited the inability to ensure proper living conditions in winter as one of the reasons for moving the prisoners to Russia. Specifically, this refers to a lack of funds to purchase coal for heating, as well as water supply interruptions and power outages in occupied Donetsk Oblast.

In addition, the relocation is linked to changes in Russian legislation, which stipulate that those convicted of terrorism and extremism must serve their sentences as far away from home as possible, as well as the fact that the premises of colony No. 32 do not meet Russian standards.

The vacated premises are already being refitted, including the installation of CCTV cameras.

Background:

• On 23 October 2026, two Ukrainian servicemen held in colony No. 32 returned from captivity during a prisoner swap: Anatolii Kapitskyi, captured in 2020, and Serhii Heremes, who had been in captivity since 2018.
• Meanwhile, over 30 Ukrainian prisoners from colony No. 32 who are on the exchange lists remain in captivity.

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