Russian volunteer who helped hundreds of Ukrainians return home reportedly dies in jail

Alexander Demidenko, a Russian man who reportedly helped hundreds of Ukrainians return from Russia back to Ukraine as a volunteer after the start of the full-scale war until his arrest in October 2023, has died in pre-trial detention, the Telegram channel Vot Tak reported on Monday.

According to the channel, Demidenko died on April 5. His lawyer reportedly informed his wife and son of his death three days later.

“I think my father took his own life, since for such an active and freedom-loving person, the thought of his likely future incarceration was unbearable. He had already been killed psychologically by his six months in pre-trial detention without getting to see his loved ones or even have books,” the volunteer’s son wrote on Telegram.

Demidenko’s wife, Natalia, told journalists that police and Chechen Special Forces briefly brought her husband to their home on October 20 and that she saw numerous bruises on his body. Telegram channels later published photos showing Demidenko in custody with bruises.