Occupiers tortured Azov combat medic Krokhmaliuk to death in captivity – 1st National Guard Corps

Deputy Commander of the First Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine for personnel work, former deputy commander of the Azov regiment Sviatoslav "Kalyna" Palamar, has reported the death of another Ukrainian prisoner of war in Russian captivity.

"Oleksandr Arkadiyovych Krokhmaliuk joined Azov in 2016. He was a combat medic and head of the medical service at the time he was taken prisoner. A person who saved lives. A worthy fighter and my brother-in-arms. Oleksandr went into captivity from Azovstal, went through Olenivka and the Taganrog torture chamber. The last known place of detention was SIZO-2, Kamyshin. In September 2025, Oleksandr was returned as part of another stage of the 1,000-for-1,000 repatriation of bodies. He returned home dead," Palamar said on Facebook.

According to him, a forensic examination in Lviv dated September 22, 2025, recorded the cause of death: fractured ribs and blunt chest trauma.

"This is another verdict on the system of international humanitarian law, which is unable to protect the health and lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian captivity. Open and contemptuous violation of the Geneva Convention, torture and killings of Ukrainian prisoners of war are a deliberate barbaric state policy of the Russians. Systematic and documented, but unpunished. The civilized world cannot limit itself only to monitoring and reports. Recording crimes is necessary. But it is not enough. Evil that does not meet a decisive response multiplies," the deputy commander said.

Palamar called on Ukrainian officials, human rights defenders and diplomats to ensure that every case of death from torture is raised from the rostrums of the UN, the Council of Europe and the OSCE, as well as in bilateral negotiations. He said the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and Azov prisoners of war was their duty and should already be a priority of Ukraine's international relations.

As reported, earlier on Friday, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said that 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war had been subjected to daily torture while held in Russian prisons, and that as of now 149 tortured Ukrainian prisoners of war had been verified by the International Committee of the Red Cross.