b. c. 1974
Volodymyr Baraniuk
Commander of the 36th Marine Brigade
Russian troops captured him once before, in Crimea in 2014, and left him with broken ribs. Eight years later, as a colonel and Hero of Ukraine, he commanded the 36th Marine Brigade's defence of Mariupol - and was taken prisoner again.
Key accomplishments
- During Russia's seizure of Crimea in 2014, then a major, took command of his besieged marine battalion in Feodosia
- Commanded the 36th Separate Marine Brigade (September 2021 - April 2022)
- Organized the defense of Mariupol from the first days of the full-scale invasion (from 24 February 2022)
- Hero of Ukraine (decree No. 148/2022, 19 March 2022)
The first time they caught him
In March 2014, as Russia seized Crimea, Major Volodymyr Baraniuk was deputy commander of a marine battalion in Feodosia. When Russian troops surrounded the base and flew the senior officers out by helicopter, Baraniuk took charge of the encircled unit. Russian troops fired on the unarmed marines and threw flash grenades at them; Baraniuk came away with broken ribs and a head injury. He was released on 26 March 2014, along with the other captured marines.
Mariupol
Eight years later, now a colonel, Baraniuk had commanded the 36th Separate Marine Brigade since September 2021. When the full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022, his brigade found itself encircled in Mariupol and held off a far larger force for weeks. On 19 March 2022 he was named a Hero of Ukraine.
In early April 2022 Baraniuk led a column trying to break out of the besieged city. The breakout failed, and he was taken prisoner. Command of what remained of the brigade passed to Serhii Volynskyi, who led roughly 500 soldiers through to the Azovstal plant.
Captivity since
On 8 May 2022, Russian state media showed Baraniuk alive in captivity. As of October 2026, he remains held in Russia; no official report of his release has been made.
