August M
Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of operating detention centers where prisoners of war and civilians are subjected to severe abuse, as the conflict between the two countries continues.
Kyiv says thousands of civilians have been detained since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with many allegedly facing mistreatment while in custody, reports the Daily Express.
Allegations from Kyiv
Ukrainian officials claim that around 15,000 civilians have been detained by Russia since 2022. Approximately 1,800 people are still being held, according to Ukrainian figures.
Kyiv has described conditions in certain facilities as involving “widespread and systematic torture,” including electric shocks, beatings and suffocation methods.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba previously said: “Every time we liberate a piece of our territory from the Russian army, we find torture rooms and mass graves with civilians tortured and murdered by the Russian army.”
Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of torture or systematic abuse.
Reports from former detainees
The Daily Express cited accounts from former Ukrainian prisoners held at SIZO-2, a pre-trial detention center in Taganrog, southern Russia, which it reported had been repurposed to hold Ukrainians.
Viktor Biletskyi, a Ukrainian soldier, described how his cellmate was allegedly forced to wear a gas mask while being electrocuted.
“They put a gas mask on Danylo and electrocuted him to make him suffocate faster, but as soon as he started to lose consciousness, they took off the gas mask. They did not let him die: they wanted him to suffer,” he said.
Other former detainees cited by the paper described being beaten, suspended in painful positions and subjected to electric shocks.
Roman Vasiliovich Gorilyk, released in a May 2024 prisoner exchange, was reported to have returned to Ukraine severely weakened with visible injuries.
These accounts have not been independently verified.
Ongoing conflict
The allegations add to a growing list of accusations exchanged by both sides during the war.
Calls for accountability and independent monitoring continue as fighting persists and prisoner exchanges remain one of the few areas of negotiation between Kyiv and Moscow.
Source: Ukrainian government statements; Reporting by Daily Express.
