Ukrainian Prisoners Moved from Occupied Makiivka to Russian Penal Colonies

Russian authorities have begun moving Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees out of occupied territory in the east. The relocation involves individuals held in penal colony No. 32 in Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

The process started in August 2026. The first group to depart consisted of five Ukrainian servicemen and one civilian political prisoner. By late October, the majority of the estimated 35 detainees held at the facility had been moved.

According to the news outlet Novyny Donbasu, two distinct groups received different assignments within Russia. One cohort was transferred to strict-regime penal colony No. 1 in Tambov. A second group was sent to strict-regime colony No. 5 in the town of Morshansk, also in Tambov Oblast. In both cases, Ukrainian inmates were placed alongside Russian convicts.

Vitalii Chmil, a prisoner of war transferred from Makiivka in mid-August, has had his location confirmed. He was initially held in a pre-trial detention center in Krasnoyarsk. He was subsequently moved to strict-regime colony No. 1 in Kyzyl, located in the Tyva Republic near the Mongolian border. Russian volunteers assisted Chmil in contacting his relatives to share this information.

The administration of colony No. 32 cited logistical difficulties as a primary driver for the relocation. They pointed to a lack of funds for coal, along with frequent water interruptions and power outages in occupied Donetsk Oblast. The administration argued these factors made it difficult to ensure proper living conditions during the winter.

Legal adjustments in Russia also played a role. New stipulations require that those convicted of terrorism and extremism serve sentences far from their home regions. Additionally, the facility in Makiivka did not meet current Russian standards. The vacated buildings are currently being refitted, with new CCTV cameras being installed.

Approximately 100 to 120 convicts in the settlement colony attached to site No. 32 will remain in Makiivka for the winter. A small number of political prisoners are also still waiting for transfer, though their destinations have not been identified. On October 23, two servicemen, Anatolii Kapitskyi and Serhii Heremes, were returned to Ukraine in a prisoner swap. More than 30 other detainees from colony No. 32 remain on exchange lists.