The brave Ukrainian soldier who famously told a Russian naval warship to ‘go f**k yourself’ has since revealed the brutality he faced while locked up in a Russian jail cell.
Roman Hrybov, 32, and his comrades valiantly stood up to Russian soldiers who approached the strategically-important Snake Island, located in the Black Sea, more than four weeks ago.
The courageous men were feared dead after being captured by the enemy forces, but news soon broke revealing they were being held in Russia.
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They were held in a secret jail for a whole month, during which they faced chilling intimidation tactics.
During his time in Russian prison, Hrybov lost 22 pounds and was ‘degraded’, yet he still insists he is ‘not a hero’.
The 32-year-old was returned to Ukraine last week following a prison swap, and is now back home in Cherkasy.
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Hrybov now wishes to shed light on the 72 other Ukrainian prisoners being kept in the same prison.
His mother, Tetiana Rudolfivna Hrybova, told MailOnline: “Roman suffered terribly at the hands of the Russians.
“He was starved and beaten and subjected to degrading treatment. He lost 10kg.
“But he says he is not a hero. He is only interested in helping the other soldiers get out of the Russian jail where he was held.”
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Soldier Evgeniy Goncharenko, who took Roman back to his unit after the prisoner exchange, said: “Roman and his comrades were treated badly.
“The Russians beat them. The soldiers got very cold. There was nowhere for them to sleep.
“They had to sit on the cold floor with their hands on their heads.
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“They were not allowed to go to the toilet. It was degrading.”
He added: “The Russians even beat the civilians who were taken prisoner. They treated them like soldiers.”
After returning back home to safety, Hrybov was presented with an award for the ‘Merits To Cherkasy Region’ by its governor, Igor Taburets.
"I want to say a big thank you to the Ukrainian people for such support," Hrybov said. "We strongly feel this support, it inspires us."
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When presenting the medal, Taburets said: "The most important thing is that he survived, in spite of moral pressure, in spite of everything, and he will be an example for our Ukrainians and the people of Cherkasy."
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Topics: World News, Ukraine, Russia
Abbi Murray