METRO
Horrifying before and after photos show how a Ukrainian soldier held prisoner by Russia was starved during his 20 month capture.
Volodymyr Tsema-Bursov, 41, looks painfully thin in images taken in January when he was released during a prisoner exchange.
Volodymyr, who is 1.91 metres (6.2 feet) tall, lost nearly half his body weight and now weighs just 57 kilogrammes (125 lbs).
His ‘after’ photos could be mistaken for pictures taken at a World War II Nazi death camp.
He is being treated for multiple medical problems caused by starvation.
Volodymyr was serving with Ukraine’s 56th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade when he was captured on April 12, 2022.
He had previously worked as a musician in Mariupol and on cruise ships and had joined the brigade’s orchestra in 2020.
He was captured by Russian forces when they attacked the Ilyich steel plant, according to local media.
Volodymyr was held in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region and was also reportedly subjected to torture.
It’s believed the Russians beat and abused their prisoners and when Volodymyr was released he was so confused he did not even realise he was back in Ukraine.
