Occupiers are holding Ukrainian woman with cancer recurrence in pre-trial detention center in temporarily occupied territory of Kherson region
Russian occupiers are holding 40-year-old Ukrainian woman Olga Sydacheva-Shakhova in a pretrial detention center in Chongar, in the temporarily occupied Kherson region. She has reported a recurrence of cancer and a sharp deterioration in her health. According to her, her weight has dropped to approximately 40 kilograms due to a lack of proper treatment.
This was reported by the Russian publication "Mediazona," citing letters from a Ukrainian woman in a pretrial detention center, according to Censor.NET.
In one of the letters she wrote in late October, Sidacheva-Shakhova said that in 2021 she experienced a recurrence of thyroid cancer with metastases in her neck and armpits.
In addition, according to the woman, she suffers from chronic laryngeal stenosis, bronchial asthma, and severe hypothyroidism.
In March 2022, a Ukrainian woman had planned to travel to Kyiv for chemotherapy and surgery, but was unable to do so due to the full-scale Russian invasion.
After the occupation of the Kherson region, she was effectively left without adequate medical care. According to the Ukrainian woman, she was unable to receive treatment because she did not have a Russian passport.
Her condition continues to worsen. Standing 167 centimeters tall, she weighs about 40 kilograms, eats almost nothing, sleeps poorly due to breathing difficulties, and experiences constant neck pain.
The Ukrainian woman said she is forced to take ibuprofen, which only provides temporary pain relief. She is not receiving the medications she needs.
"I'm holding on for now; it's a constant struggle for the right to live," Sidacheva-Shakhova wrote.
Persecution for a pro-Ukrainian comment
Prior to her arrest, the woman had been living in the village of Nova Mayachka in the temporarily occupied Kherson region.
In February 2026, the Russian authorities added her to the list of "extremists and terrorists."
In July, a Russian court fined a Ukrainian woman 320,000 rubles on charges of allegedly justifying terrorism.
The basis for the case was a comment in Ukrainian posted on the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army. In November 2024, the woman reacted positively to a report that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had struck a facility in Izhevsk, Russia, that manufactures anti-aircraft missiles for the "Tor" and "Osa" systems.
According to Sidacheva-Shakhova, she was released from the pretrial detention center on August 1, but was immediately re-arrested—this time on charges of espionage.
The woman claims that the new criminal case is related to a money transfer made to pay for the medical treatment of her nephew, who lives in Ukraine.
The son of a Ukrainian woman was left alone in the occupied territory
Sidacheva-Shakhova also reported that her son is alone in Nova Mayachka, near the combat zone.
According to the woman, he could have been drafted into the Russian army in October. She is unable to stay in touch with her son properly.
Before the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian woman worked as a journalist and human rights activist.
The "Memorial" Human Rights Center has determined that she was a member of the "Syndicate" association and, in 2019, became a member of the public council attached to the Southern Interregional Directorate for the Enforcement of Criminal Sentences and Probation of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
The woman is currently being held in custody on charges of espionage.
