Prosecutor General: Over 2,200 Ukrainian prisoners of war were tortured and inhumanely treated in captivity

Author:
Liza Brovko
Date:

The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office is investigating Russiaʼs crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war. They have already identified 2,200 victims who were subjected to torture and inhumane treatment in Russian captivity.

Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin announced this.

More than 500 people among the victims stated that they were subjected to physical violence during interrogations, including torture with electric current.

"Everyone who was in Russian captivity was subjected to brutal treatment or torture by the occupiers," he emphasized.

And he added that prisoners of war were beaten even for communicating in the Ukrainian language. Those returned from captivity say that they witnessed the murders of other prisoners.

Russia has created a system for keeping Ukrainian prisoners. At least 25 such objects are now known in 15 regions of Russia.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, prosecutors have registered more than 450 criminal proceedings for the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. The "magisterial" proceedings on crimes against Ukrainian prisoners are still being investigated, as a result of which there are already 12 suspects.

Investigators are also conducting 27 criminal proceedings on the facts of the execution of 61 Ukrainian prisoners of war. They reported the suspicion to four Russian soldiers, and one was sentenced.

  • On May 31 , Ukraine returned 75 people from Russian captivity. Among them are defenders of Mariupol, Zmiine and military personnel from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. This was the 52nd exchange since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia. A total of 3,210 Ukrainians were returned home.