By Trendsetter Tribune 
A Polish man who travelled through Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine in 2023 may have died after alleged torture while in Russian custody, according to findings published by the independent human rights organization Memorial.
Journalists identified the man as Krzysztof Galos, from Kraków. According to their reporting, Galos crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border in mid-April 2023 and later entered territories occupied by Russian forces. Family members and sources cited in the report said he had been skeptical of media coverage about the war and wanted to see the situation firsthand.
Detained after approaching a checkpoint, reports say
Surveillance cameras reportedly last recorded Galos’ vehicle near the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. According to Memorial, he was detained by Russian soldiers at a checkpoint and later transferred to pre-trial detention centre No. 2 in Taganrog, where Ukrainian prisoners of war are also held.
After contact with Galos ceased, his family filed a missing-person report. For months, his whereabouts and condition remained unknown.
Human rights report describes systemic abuse
In January 2025, Memorial released a report titled Ukraine: war crimes of Russian aggressors, documenting what it says are instances of torture and mistreatment in both occupied territories and detention centres inside Russia. Among the cases described was that of a Polish citizen who reportedly died in Taganrog.
Memorial’s sources claim Galos:
- was beaten repeatedly,
- faced abuse for not speaking Russian,
- was targeted because of Poland’s support for Ukraine.
One respondent quoted in the report said Galos explained that he had been “travelling around Ukraine to see what was going on there,” but accidentally drove toward a Russian checkpoint.
According to the organization, guards allegedly beat him so severely during one inspection that his legs turned blue and he could no longer stand. Memorial reports that Galos died in mid-June 2023.
The claims have not been independently verified by international observers or confirmed by Russian authorities.
Alleged pressure on prisoners
Memorial further alleges that after his death, fellow detainees were ordered to sign statements claiming that no violence had been used against him and that there had been no conflicts inside the cell.
Witnesses cited in the report said that while physical beatings reportedly became less frequent afterward, guards intensified punitive “exercise” routines, forcing detainees to carry out hundreds of squats and push-ups, with additional punishment if the exercises were deemed insufficient.
Family says they were not notified
The reporting states that Russian authorities did not inform Poland about Galos’ death. His son, Paweł, told journalists he still does not know the exact circumstances of what happened or where his father’s body is located.
He has contacted Russia’s Ministry of Justice, prosecutors, Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Polish president, and embassies in both Ukraine and Russia.
So far, according to the family, responses have only come from Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Border Guard. The ministry said that after Polish outlet Gazeta Wyborcza reported on the case, Poland’s embassy in Moscow sent a diplomatic note to Russia’s Foreign Ministry seeking clarification.
Ongoing questions
At this stage, key questions remain unresolved:
- the precise cause of death,
- whether torture can be confirmed by independent investigators,
- the current status and location of Galos’ remains.
Russian authorities have not publicly commented on Memorial’s findings, and no official investigation results have been released.