Your logic, or lack thereof here, is really something else. Sentsov was on hunger strike during this time to try to bring attention back to the reality faced by political prisoners in Russia, which events like Russia hosting the World Cup helped to whitewash.

On this day in 2014, the Russian authorities in occupied Crimea arrested Oleg Sentsov, a local filmmaker and Ukrainian sympathizer. He was charged with terrorism and sentenced to 20 years in jail. In September 2019, just six months after President Zelensky was elected, Russia released him with other Ukrainian political prisoners and POWs. Since 2022, Sentsov has been defending his Homeland in the Armed Forces.

Filmmaker Oleg Sentsov uit Simferopol🇺🇦 werd 12 jaar geleden op 10 mei 2014 opgepakt door de FSB omdat hij RU bezetting en annexatie van de Krim niet erkende. Hij kreeg 20 jaar strafkolonie, ging in hongerstaking, kreeg de Sachorovprijs en kwam vrij door ruil met MH17 verdachte.

…Marcia Luyten, Eva Peek, Jelle Postma @PjotrSauer Jaap Scholten @HubertSmeets @LisaWeeda Tommy Wieringa, dank voor jullie stellingname! Denk aan Oekraïense filmmaker Oleg Sentsov die in 2014 op de Krim door de FSB gevangen werd gezet omdat hij RU’s bezetting niet erkende. 34/

Numbers (Nomery) 2020 Oleh Sentsov, Akhtem Seitablaiev transfer.it/t/h8I6frpBGZiY

Está curiosa. Una producción muy modesta, pero merece la pena. Y sí, tal cual, por desgracia... El director Oleh Sentsov y otros actores, etc. también están o han estado en el frente.

I remember how after Zelenskyy’s victory the Russians condescendingly handed over to Ukraine the most known political prisoners, among them Oleh Sentsov. And then they handed over another group of civilian hostages from Donbas 👇

"We remain a small Soviet army fighting a large Soviet army," battalion commander Oleg Sentsov told Ukrainska Pravda.

Putin gave a medal for capturing Kupiansk. Two months later, Zelensky filmed himself standing in it. Meanwhile Russia walked into Siversk unopposed—because Ukrainian commanders had lied about holding it for weeks. "We remain a small Soviet army fighting a large Soviet army," battalion commander Oleg Sentsov told Ukrainska Pravda. Both armies run on the same Soviet disease: tell your boss what he wants to hear, no matter how many soldiers die. The difference? Ukraine fired the lying commanders. Russia promoted theirs. Now three corps—Azov, Khartia, 3rd Assault—are building units where truth-telling is the rule. Islands in a sick system. But only one side is trying. euromaidanpress.com/2026/01/…

I remember him condemning the annexation of Crimea and campaigned for the release of Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov who is now a soldier in the AFU. Also he spoke well about 20 days in Mariupol and did not say any pro-Russian crap like Corbyn. His association with Corbyn is annoying but for a hard leftie, he's been pretty decent on Ukraine

Journalist and political prisoner Andrzej Poczobut and Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli have been named the laureates of the 2025 Sakharov Prize for «Freedom of Thought». Established by the European Parliament in 1988 in honor of Soviet physicist and human rights defender Andrei Sakharov, the prize recognizes outstanding contributions to the defense of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Previous laureates include Nelson Mandela, Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, Russian opposition leader @navalny, and Ukrainian President @Zelenskyy_Uaa, as well as the people of Ukraine. #releasenow #HumanRights #Belarus

Tattoo artwork by © Alexander Sentsov.

Oleg Sentsov The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine started back in February 2014 due to Russia’s invasion and occupation of Crimea. By March of the same year, Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea. He took control of the peninsula with the support of paramilitary groups and troops, justifying his decision as a way to protect Russian ethnicity. A popular referendum was held to decide on Crimea’s annexation to Russia. Even though the government of Ukraine labeled this decision as unconstitutional and full of irregularities, and the referendum was recognized as invalid by the majority of countries and the UN General Assembly resolution 68/262, by March 27, Crimea was incorporated into the Russian federation. Many people protested against Russia’s occupation of Crimea, including Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov. The Russian military court accused him of organizing bombs and terrorist attacks and sentenced him to 20 years in prison, even though no evidence was presented. Sentsov is just one example of the various Ukrainian political prisoners held unfairly in Russia under inhumane conditions. Since Crimea’s invasion in 2014, the persecution of political prisoners highly increased, with a significant percentage being Crimean Tatars. Due to the regular unlawful imprisonments happening in Russia, different organizations held various campaigns and strategies to help release Ukrainian political prisoners. Continue reading: en.tavaana.org/oleg-sentsov-… #نه_به_جمهوری_اسلامی #یاری_مدنی_توانا #مطالعه_موردی

🎖 On October 1, 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a Decree conferring the title of Hero of Ukraine with the “Golden Star” Order on Gennadiy Serhiyovych Afanasyev, a fallen defender from Crimea. 📌 Gennadiy Afanasyev, call sign “Tor”, was born in Simferopol, Ukraine. He studied law at the Tavrida National V. I. Vernadsky University and worked as a photographer before the beginning of the occupation. Following the events of February 2014, he became an active participant in protests against the occupation in Crimea. 💢 On May 9, 2014, officers of Russia’s FSB illegally detained Afanasyev in Simferopol, subjected him to brutal torture, and forced him to provide false testimony in the so-called “Sentsov case” alongside Oleg Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, and Oleksiy Chyrniy. He spent over a year in Moscow’s Lefortovo pre-trial detention center, enduring psychological and physical pressure. Ultimately, the occupiers sentenced him to seven years in a high-security penal colony. On June 14, 2016, he was released as part of a prisoner exchange. 🔹 After his release, Afanasyev became a Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for Prisoner Release Issues, engaged in human rights advocacy, spoke at international platforms, and authored the book “Rise After the Fall.” In it, he described his abduction, torture, imprisonment, and transformation from a victim into an active defender of others’ rights, making the book a testament to resilience and a reminder of the price of freedom. ⚔️ With the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Gennadiy Afanasyev was killed in action defending Ukraine and its territorial integrity. His courage, dedication, and devotion to the Ukrainian people have become a symbol of the heroism of our defenders.

In honor of International Translation Day, here are four books—by Oleh Sentsov, Khrystia Vengryniuk, Myroslav Laiuk, and Andriy Lyubka—that I'm proud to have helped bring to English readers. And there are even more exciting works on the way in 2026.

Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov was appointed commander of a battalion in the 47th Mechanized Brigade Magura. A political prisoner in Russia from 2014 to 2019, he was detained in occupied Crimea, accused of terrorism and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Released in 2019 via prisoner exchange, he joined Kyiv’s defense in 2022, rose from platoon to battalion commander, fought near Avdiivka, was wounded and returned to the battlefield post-concussion.

🇺🇦 Ukrainian filmmaker and activist Oleh Sentsov has been appointed commander of a Ukrainian military battalion, Sspirnine reported on September 14. Sentsov was one of Russia's most prominent political prisoners. He was arrested by Russian authorities in Crimea in 2014 and later sentenced to 20 years in prison for so-called "terrorist acts," charges internationally recognized as politically motivated. He was released in 2019 in a prisoner exchange. He joined the military in March 2022, after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. There, he rose through the ranks from platoon commander to assault company commander and eventually to battalion commander. According to the report, Sentsov currently commands a battalion in the 47th Independent Mechanized Brigade, "Magura." "We are ready to repent for the rest of our lives when Russia admits that this war was a mistake, gives up our territory and apologizes that it was wrong. This will be a victory for me. I believe that day will come,” ー Sentsov said at the YES conference in Kyiv.

⚡️Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov promoted to battalion commander. Ukrainian filmmaker and activist Oleh Sentsov has been appointed commander of a battalion in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Suspilne reported on Sept. 14. kyivindependent.com/ukrainia…

6/6 Sentsov was later transferred to the 47th separate mechanized brigade "Magura". In June 2023, Sentsov reported facebook.com/oleg.sentsov/po… that he was participating in a counteroffensive. According to the military, his company occupied a designated line, but suffered losses. Also in June of the same year, he was awarded his first officer rank - junior lieutenant. facebook.com/oleg.sentsov/po… Sentsov was wounded several times and also suffered multiple concussions. hromadske.ua/posts/rezhiser-…

5/ "They are making some progress now, but the pace is not there anymore. And one day the day will come when we stop them, and then Putin will think about whether it makes sense to do anything further," Sentsov believes. He added that at the same time it was important to continue to pressure russia politically and economically. Sentsov at war Film director and former Kremlin political prisoner Oleg Sentsov joined the 204th Kyiv-based Territorial Defense Battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the beginning of the Great War, wrote "Crimea. Realities." ua.krymr.com/a/news-ukraina-…