Mykola Riabchenko lost all his equipment in captivity and is unable to work because of his health condition

Mariupol journalist Mykola Riabchenko, who went missing on May 6 near the town of Manhush, Donetska Oblast, was held prisoner in the basement of a hotel not far from Mariupol. He shared this with «Telekrytyka.» After Riabchenko returned he was reluctant to talk about his abduction; he is clearly concerned for his life and so he does not intend to share the details of his captivity. He did tell that the unidentified men hit him on the head several times and insulted him on numerous occasions. When he was abducted, his captors put a balaclava on his head and took him in an unknown direction to some room, where other hostages were kept. They also took away all his equipment – two very expensive phones, a photo camera, photo light, a bullet-proof vest and all three of his journalist IDs from the media outlets he has been working for (Ren TV, NTN, and ICTV’s ‘Emergency News’) as a freelancer. He has a heart condition and with a balaclava on his head it was difficult to breath, and his captors would not take it off from him. One night, he was kept in handcuffs, and on the next day he was taken by car to one of road police stations, and from there he got home. As all his equipment was taken away now he is unable to provide for his family.