Ukrainian Prisoners Recount Russian Torture and Abuse

According to a United Nations report presented at an informal U.N. Security Council meeting on August 10, 95% of interviewed Ukrainian prisoners of war reported experiencing torture or ill-treatment while in Russian captivity. Former detainees and Ukrainian officials detailed systematic abuses including beatings, electric shocks, and sexual violence, amid thousands of ongoing captivities in occupied territories.

U.N. Findings Reveal 95% Abuse Rate Among Ukrainian POWs

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Claudia Fuentes Julio stated that monitoring shows widespread and systematic torture by Russian Federation authorities against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the U.n. documented the execution of 129 Ukrainian POWs at the beginning of their captivity and the deaths of 48 others in custody since February 2022, resulting from torture, denied medical care, or inhumane conditions.

Fuentes Julio noted that more than half of interviewed prisoners also reported sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, and electric shocks to the genitals. The OHCHR documented severe beatings with objects like batons, heavy belts, and wood, alongside dog attacks and mock executions. In contrast, Fuentes Julio stated that Russian and third-country prisoners held by Ukraine also reported abuse, but on a “fundamentally different scale,” with about half of interviewed individuals reporting mistreatment during initial stages of captivity.

Survivor Accounts Detail Extensive Detention Abuses

Khuan Alberto Levya Garsiya, an active member of the Ukrainian military, told reporters he survived 1,183 days in captivity subjected to daily beatings, electrocution, extreme cold exercises, and sexual abuse. Garsiya stated that two of his friends were beaten to death in Donetsk region detention centers, where prisoners suffered from dysentery and starvation in overcrowded barracks. With a Cuban background, Garsiya reported that guards specifically targeted him with accusations of being a mercenary and an American spy.

Crimean Tatar activist Leniie Umerova, released in a 2024 prisoner exchange after being detained while attempting to visit her sick father in Crimea, described moving through seven detention facilities in what she termed a “carousel of repression.” Oleg Gushin of the Ukrainian government’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War stated that Kyiv has identified more than 300 places of detention in Russia and occupied Ukrainian territory. While over 9,000 Ukrainians have returned through exchanges, Gushin noted that thousands remain captive.

Russian Rejection of Allegations and International Calls to Action

Russia rejected the allegations during the U.N. meeting. Maria Zabolotskaya, Russia’s Deputy U.N. Representative, called the presentation a “disinformation campaign” and alleged that Russian prisoners in Ukraine were subjected to torture, degradation, and moral and physical abuse.

Ukraine’s Chargé d’Affaires Volodymyr Pavlichenko urged greater international pressure and accountability for Russia’s treatment of prisoners. The revelations underscore ongoing human rights concerns as international monitors continue tracking conditions across hundreds of identified detention sites in Russia and occupied regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of Ukrainian POWs reported abuse according to the U.N.?

According to U.N.

How many Ukrainian prisoners have been returned through exchanges?

According to Oleg Gushin of the Ukrainian government’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, more than 9,000 Ukrainians have been returned through exchanges, though thousands remain in captivity.

How does Russia respond to these torture allegations?

Russia has rejected the allegations. Deputy U.N. Representative Maria Zabolotskaya dismissed the U.N. meeting presentation as a “disinformation campaign” and alleged that Ukrainian forces subjected Russian prisoners to abuse.