A new report by Amnesty International revealed systematic abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians by Russian authorities. The organization documents widespread human rights violations that constitute war crimes.
According to the report, Russian forces have subjected Ukrainian captives to torture, enforced disappearance, and prolonged incommunicado detention since February 2022. The investigation, based on interviews with 104 people in Ukraine, uncovers a deliberate policy of dehumanization and silencing.
“Russia’s systemic incommunicado detention of Ukrainian POWs and civilians reflects a deliberate policy designed to dehumanize and silence them,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
Volodymyr Shevchenko, a former POW who spent over two years in Russian captivity, described brutal torture: “They started torturing me right away. They beat me with stun guns, these special sticks, it was very painful. I saw how the guys started to die after that. Their hearts just couldn’t take it anymore.”
Thousands of Ukrainians remain in captivity, with families left in uncertainty. Olena Kolesnyk, whose husband Serhii was captured in July 2024, said: “I won’t know where to look for my husband and where to write letters. This black darkness of not knowing – it’s killing me.”
The report alleges that Russian authorities consistently violate international law. They deny international organizations access to prisoners and frequently fail to acknowledge detentions. In some cases, this amounts to enforced disappearance.
Medical neglect is another critical issue. Serhii Koroma, a wounded POW, reported receiving only a single topical antiseptic and being left “to heal or die.”
According to Prosecutor General Kostin, more than 3,800 civilian captives and 2,200 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been officially documented as victims of torture and inhumane treatment. However, Kostin states that the actual scale of torture may far exceed these figures.
Ukrainian POWs have reported enduring severe beatings, electric shocks, sleep deprivation, and dog attacks. Many have also suffered mock executions and death threats while being subjected to starvation and denied medical care and basic necessities.
“Up to 90% of all returned POWs stated they have been subject to torture in Russian prisons…This is a stark violation of the third Geneva Convention, of which Moscow is a signatory,” Kostin says.
Read also:
- “She couldn’t even lift her head”: Witness describes Roshchyna’s condition in Russian prison
- 15 Russians raped her for false confession – Ukrainian mother gets 18-year sentence after years of torture in secret Russian prison
- Inside Kremlin’s hidden torture camp for Ukrainians in Belarus
