Volodymyr Tsema-Bursov lived in Mariupol with his family and served in the 56th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade. Before the full-scale invasion, Volodymyr was a stocky man, standing 191 cm tall and weighing 95 kg. In April 2022, he was taken prisoner of war by Russia from the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works, where he spent 20 months. He is one of many examples of what Russian captivity does to people.

Oleksiy Anulia from Chernihiv region was a kickboxer and when the full-scale invasion began, he joined the 21st Separate Rifle Battalion as a machine gunner. He took part in the battles for Lukashivka in late February and early March 2022 and was captured.