In his first interview since being freed, Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, opened up about his harrowing experience in a Russian labor camp, describing it as a period of torment and ‘torture.’ Whelan detailed how the years of imprisonment affected his mental state, revealing that it ‘did play with my mind.’ He also said that he managed to feed crucial information to Western officials, which he obtained from fellow prisoners fighting in Ukraine. Whelan credited fellow detainee Brittney Griner as a significant advocate for his release. His attorney reflected on the efforts taken to bring him home, while Whelan recounted his lowest moments during custody, emphasizing the psychological toll of his ordeal.