Surviving Wagner: A Ukrainian Soldier's 46-Day Nightmare as a POW

Illia Mykhalchuk, a Ukrainian soldier, endured a 46-day nightmare as a prisoner of the Wagner Group, Russia's contract army. Captured during an ambush, Mykhalchuk suffered severe injuries, including the amputation of both arms. He described the barbarism and psychological abuse inflicted by his captors, who aimed to break the will of Ukrainian soldiers. After being freed in a prisoner exchange, Mykhalchuk is now in the United States for intensive rehabilitation and the fitting of advanced prosthetics. The cost of his prosthetic arms alone is valued at $200,000.