The dying words of the British humanitarian worker who was murdered and tortured in the Ukrainian prison of a Moscow-backed stooge group were, “I love you so much and thought about you every day.”
Paul Urey, 45, who was apprehended in the Zaporizhzhia area on April 25 and transferred to a prison camp in eastern Ukraine, passed away on July 10 from “sickness and stress” in the self-declared People’s Republic of Donestk (DPR).
Along with the 45-year-old, his colleague Dylan Healy, 22, was also imprisoned and subjected to torture; nevertheless, Mr. Healy and four other Britons were released on September 21.
Courtney Coman, 17, and Chelsea Coman, 21, both of Warrington, were weeping when Mr. Healy reportedly said to them: “Your dad loved you and thought about you every day.”
He has described the experience the two were put through, which he claims included torture and a simulated death by pro-Russian soldiers.
The two were attacked while on a humanitarian expedition in Ukraine, dragged from their vehicles, and made to kneel by the side of the road.
A soldier primed his weapon but shot into the ground between the two of them. They were then hauled to jail.
In case of emergency, the two agreed to contact one other’s families. As a result, Mr. Healy recently had an emotional encounter with two of the father-of-children. four’s
He said to the Sunday Mirror, “Paul and I agreed to talk to each other’s families in the event of an emergency.
Let my family know that I love them and that I think about them every day, he stated. After we were taken, I believed we would both perish, so I never imagined I’d have to.
He was anxious to go home and see you.
At least Mr. Healy was able to inform Chelsea and Courtney that the aid worker had received his diabetic medicine.
It was terrible to hear what Dad went through, but at least we now know the truth, said Courtney.
There were rumors that he had been dismembered at one time. Thankfully, that wasn’t true, but that was dreadful.
I was anxious to see his daughters, but Mr. Healy continued, “It was nice… like I’ve known them for years.”
I’m so glad we heard it from him and not someone else, Chelsea stated after expressing her relief during the meeting.
We didn’t want to put Dylan under undue strain or give him the impression that he was being questioned again. We are overjoyed that he agreed to meet with us.
Mr. Healy, a hotel cook, resided in Ely, Cambs.
Vladimir Putin later joined the Ukrainian Foreign Legion after the February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Later, he changed careers to work in humanitarian relief, when he met Mr. Urey, a man who had been turned down by the Foreign Legion because of his health.
When they were apprehended and transported to a facility outside of Mariupol, the pair were on their way from Odessa to Zaporizhzhia to save a father and two children.
After being told to exit their car, Mr. Healy recalled the fake execution: “All the shooter had to do was fire the trigger and we were gone.” We kept quiet. We declined his request for any parting remarks when he made it.
Then, with the two of us in the midst of the muck, he fired a shot. That was a tight one, said Paul.
Mr. Healy described the brutality he endured during his months in detention, including being waterboarded, electrocuted, and assaulted with batons.
There was no fear; I was resigned, he said. I didn’t want to weep since I knew it wouldn’t make a difference. If you slept, they would yell at you.
I was waterboarded. I was placed on a table, a cloth placed in my mouth, and water was poured in till I started to choke.
Paul said that he had not experienced this when I talked with him. They were curious as to how we had gotten past the defenses, why, and whether we were British spies.
‘There were daily, routine beatings. My ribs were smashed by the old-style police batons they were using.
The two were subsequently placed in cramped quarters in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, where Mr. Healy said he was Tasered many times over the course of the two weeks he stayed there. Heavy metal music was also being played.
The two were subsequently sent to a different jail at Makiivka, where Mr. Urey was described by Mr. Healy as “silent and really suffering.”
On July 8, they were both accused of engaging in “mercenary operations,” with Mr. Healy facing a 14-year sentence and the death penalty and Mr. Urey facing a seven-year sentence. They confessed, according to Mr. Healy, “to minimize danger to themselves.”
Mr. Urey then required medical attention and had to be taken out of the vehicle while they were returning to the jail.
According to Mr. Healy, “They did something to make him scream for 10, 20 seconds.” I doubt I’ll ever hear somebody scream like that. I last saw Paul alive at that point.
Two days later, Mr. Urey was choking and coughing.
Paul was declared deceased at that moment, according to Mr. Healy Dylan. I was unable to process it. He was a very wonderful buddy, and I would have switched places with him right immediately.