Ukrainian Prisoner Mykola Zhuravl, Missing During Transfer to Russia, Detained in Colony in Ulyanovsk Region

Mykola Zhuravl, a Ukrainian prisoner who had been unaccounted for during his transfer to Russia, has been confirmed to be alive and detained in a penal colony located in the Ulyanovsk region. This information was disclosed by Eva Merkachova, a member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as reported by Ukrinform.

In a message shared via Telegram, Merkachova stated, “Mykyta Zhuravl has been found… He is in a colony in the Ulyanovsk region. He writes that he is alive and healthy.” The letter from Zhuravl was dated March 26, coinciding with the day Merkachova reported his disappearance.

Zhuravl was initially detained in May 2023 in Volgograd, Russia, following the emergence of a video on social media that showed the burning of the Quran. Subsequently, his case was transferred to Chechnya, where in 2024, he was sentenced to three and a half years in a penal colony.

Later, Zhuravl faced additional charges of alleged treason, resulting in a sentence of 13 and a half years in prison. According to the investigation, he was accused of sending videos of a railway depot containing Russian military equipment, footage of military aircraft, and information regarding the movement of a service vehicle from one of the military units to a “Ukrainian curator.”

In August 2023, while Zhuravl was under arrest, he was reportedly visited by Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, along with his son Adam, who was 15 years old at the time. During this visit, Adam Kadyrov physically assaulted Zhuravl. A month later, Kadyrov posted a video of the assault on his Telegram channel with the caption: “I beat him, and I did the right thing.” Following the incident, Kadyrov awarded his son the title of Hero of Chechnya, and Adam received various state awards from the leadership of other Russian regions.

Mykola Zhuravl was born on January 25, 2004, in Sevastopol. After the Russian occupation of Crimea, he enrolled in the Volgograd Social-Pedagogical University branch in Sevastopol, later transferring to Volgograd.

As reported by Ukrinform, at the end of December 2025, Zhuravl was transferred to a penal colony, after which there was a prolonged period during which no information regarding his whereabouts was available.

The case of Mykola Zhuravl has raised significant concerns regarding the treatment of prisoners and the legal processes in Russia, particularly in relation to individuals from Ukraine. Human rights organizations continue to monitor the situation closely, advocating for the rights and welfare of detained individuals.

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