Former Kremlin political prisoner Mykola Karpyuk died at the front

Mykola Karpyuk — a public and political figure, military man, co-founder of UNA-UNSO — and former political prisoner of the Kremlin, died at the front. He was 62 years old.

This was reported by public figure Yuriy Honcharenko, former deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Viktor Yahun, and the ex-MP Artur Palatny, who were familiar with Karpyuk.

"A loss that cannot be measured or described in words. A man who devoted his entire life to Ukraine, who never chased fame, money, or positions [...] One of the greatest warriors lived and died! He went into battle as he lived his entire life," Yuriy Honcharenko wrote.

Artur Palatny noted that Mykola Karpyuk dedicated his life to the fight for Ukraine — he went through revolutions, years of Russian captivity, and difficult trials, and even after 60 years he went to defend his native land.

"Because for him, love for Ukraine was not just words, but a lifelong affair," Palatny added.

Viktor Yagun wrote that Viktor Karpyuk died on September 19 at the front. The place and circumstances of his death have not been disclosed at this time. He is survived by his wife and son.

What is known about Mykola Karpiuk

Mykola Karpyuk was born on May 21, 1964 in the village of Velyky Zhytyn in the Rivne region. In the 1990s, he participated in volunteer formations during the conflicts in Transnistria and Georgia. He was an active participant in the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity, and was a member of the leadership of the Right Sector.

In March 2014, Karpyuk was kidnapped by Russian special services and illegally sentenced to 22.5 years in prison in the Russian Federation on trumped-up charges of allegedly participating in the 1995 Chechen war on the side of Chechen rebels. Karpyuk himself claimed that he had never been to Chechnya and had not participated in hostilities. He also spoke of torture while in a Russian prison and threats against his family.

Karpyuk was returned to Ukraine on September 7, 2019, as part of a 35-for-35 exchange with Russia. After that, he and another political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh founded the Ukrainian Center for the Prevention of Torture.

After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, Karpyuk voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine — he was already 60 years old at the time.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.