The story of Oleksandr Dyakov is a tale of the strength and courage of a Ukrainian who faced the horrors of war right at his doorstep. It’s a story about persevering in the darkest hours, maintaining faith in victory, and doing everything possible to achieve it.

Before February 24th The life of Kherson resident Oleksandr Dyakov wasn’t much different from that of most Ukrainians until February 2022. He managed his own business, led the condominium association, engaged in civic activism, and sought to maintain order in his hometown.

However, on the morning of February 24th, he already understood that his life would soon undergo a radical transformation—he heard the first explosions signaling that the Russians had launched a full-scale assault on Ukrainian territory.

At that time, he was living in an apartment on the 14th floor of a high-rise building, offering a splendid view of the entire city and its surroundings. Instead of the usual winter landscapes, Oleksandr witnessed the aftermath of airstrikes that Russians initially carried out on Nova Kakhovka and later on Kherson.

“At first, we thought it was, as they say, a ‘canned food explosion.’ Then it quickly became clear that these were airstrikes.”

He could even count more than 60 enemy helicopters flying through the sky. Initially, he hoped that these were Ukrainian armed forces coming to defend the city. However, he soon realized it was hostile machinery.

Unity and Resistance to Occupiers

Alexander had already distinguished himself with an active civic stance, participating in the Revolution of Dignity and organizing and supporting various local initiatives, including those focused on anti-corruption efforts.

So, when on February 24th, Russia initiated a new stage of the war against Ukraine, he didn’t contemplate staying on the sidelines, watching as the enemy destroyed his hometown and country. Almost immediately, Alexander and other activists in Kherson formed a group that, from the first days, sought to resist the occupiers in various ways—transporting soldiers, organizing material aid for defenders and civilians, and providing essential information to the Ukrainian army.

17 Days in Captivity

However, soon the enemy learned about this activity, leading to searches, arrests, and abductions.

“They took one person from our group first, then another—and then me.”

For Alexander, it was clear from the start. When people from his group began disappearing, he wiped all personal information from his devices. When the Russians came for him, his technology couldn’t assist them anymore.

In Russian captivity, people faced brutal interrogations, beatings, electric shocks, and other tortures aimed at breaking Ukrainians psychologically and forcing them to collaborate with the occupiers.

“They torture people there in such a way that I don’t even blame the person who betrayed me. I understand that he went through the same as I did… Once they suggested connecting each other to the electric current and beating each other—we, of course, refused, but such things happened.”

He sustained himself with the thought that the doors would open any moment, Ukrainian soldiers would come in, and they would announce that Kherson had been liberated.

“Even when there were ‘hits,’ I thought, ‘Oh, our guys are hitting the occupiers… That’s good, let them hit.’ I constantly tried to calm myself and speak less in the cell, because you couldn’t understand who was who there… There were 6–7 people, and you hardly knew anyone. You get to know those people in the cell, understanding that among them, there might be someone cooperating with the occupiers—such cases were very common.”

Hospitals and Sheltering in Kherson

So it went on for 17 days: constant pain leading to a loss of control, injuries from beatings and torture—after all this, Alexander’s health deteriorated.

According to the man, the occupiers had only two options for him: “My ‘release’ was forced because they either had to bury me somewhere or treat me.”

Fortunately, the Russians chose the latter—Alexander was taken to a hospital. However, in the first hospital they brought him to, the doctors refused to help him because he was under the supervision of the occupiers.

“I thought then, ‘It’s over—they’ll take me to the forest. The hospital didn’t work out—they’ll kill and bury me in the woods. But, again, I was lucky—they asked if I knew another hospital in my city…”

On the second attempt, they admitted Alexander and began treatment. Initially, he spent three days under intravenous drips, after which he underwent two surgeries.

However, there was no talk of any real release—continuous monitoring persisted.

When the man’s condition somewhat improved, they returned his mobile phone and instructed him to stay in touch with the occupiers regularly, threatening to send him to prison for 20 years on charges of “terrorism.”

“They told me, ‘We’ll put you on the wanted list, you won’t escape anywhere, so don’t even think about running away.’ How could I escape? I couldn’t even walk at that time.”

Later, the Russian occupiers were forced to begin evacuating from the city—this is when the question of what to do with Alexander arose again. At that time, he was still in the hospital.

“The doctor told me, ‘You have two options: first, they will evacuate you to ‘that’ side (controlled by Russian occupiers).’ I replied, ‘No, no, no, this option doesn’t suit me!’ Then the chief doctor said, ‘Get ready on Monday and run away.'”

And that’s exactly what he did—Alexander managed to escape because there was almost no supervision, and a significant number of occupiers had left the city at that time.

“They tried to write to me, but I turned off the phone, removed the batteries, and made sure no one could find me.”

For another two and a half weeks, Alexander hid directly in Kherson until the city was liberated.

Rehabilitation

Having traversed this challenging path, Alexander advises people with similar fates not to give up, to seek programs that aid in rehabilitation, and to keep doing something because life is about action.

Alexander received urgent support from the Educational Human Rights House in Chernihiv within the framework of the Protection Program. He participated in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program supported by the ESU project.

Alexander at the Educational Human Rights House in Chernihiv with other participants of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program within the ESU project (Kolyhivka village)

He learned about the program from an acquaintance who had also undergone it before. According to Alexander, the rehabilitation activities lasted approximately a week at the Kolyhivka village base. There were many activities, but what he remembers most is working with psychologists—this allowed Alexander to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to overcome the consequences of traumatic experiences.

“The psychologists did their job—it helped me make certain adjustments, which I now use for myself. It ‘put everything in its place’ a bit.”

During the program, participants not only actively worked with professionals but also communicated among themselves—they have maintained their communication since then.

“I even told everyone that such places need to be opened in every city in Ukraine. Because you are doing what needs to be done. You help people a lot… Those who invest their potential but, in turn, receive nothing.”

“Impressions—super, everything is great, I really liked it. I would recommend it. Thank you very much!”

Volunteering

Currently, Alexander is still in Kherson—engaged in volunteering, helping the locals with food and continuing to manage the condominium association. The skills he acquired in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program have proven useful, says Alexander.

“I now work in Kherson, about five hundred families receive humanitarian aid from me every month—that’s a thousand people if we consider two to three people in one family. I take care of them and provide assistance—some also require psychological work.”

Volunteer activity of Alexander in Kherson

“Regardless of what people say, that Kherson has already had enough help —this is not true, the need for help is constant. Even if a person has money, but, for example, they are elderly, they can’t go out because they fear shelling—enemy shells constantly hit Kherson.”

Alexander believes that after the victory, he will still find things to do, but for now, he dreams only of Victory, the release of all Ukrainian prisoners, and the rebuilding of peaceful life in Kherson.

A person is destined without a defined goal, says to Alexander Dyakov. So he advises everyone who finds themselves in difficult circumstances not to give up and to continue contributing to the community, as this is how we approach the long-awaited victory.