Krzysztof Galos, a postal worker from Kraków, died under torture at a Russian detention facility in Taganrog, according to testimony from Ukrainian prisoners and verification by human rights organization Memorial. His death marks the second foreign civilian to die under similar circumstances at the same facility, raising serious questions about Russia's treatment of detained foreign nationals.
Galos traveled to Ukraine in April 2023, stating he wanted to "see what was going on there," according to independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe. After visiting Ukrainian-controlled Odesa and Kherson regions, he attempted to reach Russian-occupied Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian forces initially prevented his passage, but Galos eventually reached the occupied city independently, where Russian forces detained him.
Ukrainian servicemen held at Taganrog Pretrial Detention Centre No. 2 witnessed the abuse. One prisoner described an incident in which Galos was "brutally kicked and beaten with sticks" by guards after he looked out his cell window at personnel without face coverings. The testimony suggests systematic mistreatment rather than an isolated incident.
In Russia, as in much of the former Soviet space, understanding requires reading between the lines. Russia's Foreign Ministry informed Polish authorities that Galos died of natural causes on June 4, 2023, citing "cardiomyopathy of unknown aetiology, which led to the development of cerebral oedema, pulmonary oedema and acute cardiovascular failure." He was buried in Taganrog in July 2023 without independent autopsy.
The pattern of deaths at this facility demands attention. Ukrainian journalist also died at the same detention center in August 2023 after torture by prison staff, according to Memorial and prisoner testimony. Two foreign civilians dying under similar circumstances at the same facility within months represents a troubling pattern.
