While occupying new territories of Luhansk oblast, the Russian troops detained a journalist from a local media oultet and kept her in the premises of the so-called “LPR MSS” for several days.
One of the detained journalists, whose name we are withholding for safety reasons, told an IMI representative about this in a private conversation.
According to the journalist, her colleague is also from a small town. The Russian occupiers detained her outside her home in April and told her to follow them. Others took the phones and working equipment from her home. She was taken to the local “LPR MSS” branch, and later to Luhansk. They spent six hours questioning her about her life, work, salary, and social circle. After the interrogation, she ended up in a cell with her colleague, the third journalist whose detention is now known.
As soon as they were released, they were able to tell their colleagues in the free territory what had happened to them. In a few months, the women managed to escape from the occupation.
Our colleagues are not ready to tell their stories publicly yet due to fear for their families. These towns are still occupied.