UKRAINE, Jul 28 — Russia took over 11,000 people from Ukraine prisoner since the start of the full-scale invasion, reports the Prosecutor General’s Office in their Telegram channel.

Today, Ukraine commemorates those who were executed, tortured, or died in captivity.

The Prosecutor’s Office is investigating systematic war crimes committed by the Russian Federation against prisoners of war and civilians, recognizing more than 5,000 military personnel and more than 5,600 civilians as victims of Russian captivity.

The Prosecutor’s Office has notified 534 individuals suspected of involvement in torture. Indictments have been filed against 365 individuals, while 117 have already been convicted.

There are 176 permanent detention facilities in Russia-occupied territories and Russia, as well as over 120 temporary (transit) detention centers, Prosecutor’s Office reports.

“The detainees were systematically tortured: beaten, subjected to electric shock torture, attacked by service dogs, strangled, suspended, subjected to mock executions, and sexually assaulted. There were documented cases of injuries, burns, and psychological abuse,” said the Prosecutor’s Office.

More than 45 employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation are under suspicion.

The Prosecutor’s Office noted that the most terrible is the mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Olenivka colony.

“Back then, in July 2022, at least 50 people were killed and another 140 were injured as a result of the explosion. The colony’s management has been notified of suspicions that they left the wounded without medical assistance (in the aftermath of attacks), which led to the deaths of another nine Ukrainian soldiers,” said the Prosecutor’s Office.

Today, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, met with the team working on freeing prisoners and providing them with assistance. 

Zelenskyy said that since the beginning of the full-scale war, a total of 5,857 people have been returned alive from captivity, with another 555 freed apart from exchanges. 

According to Zelenskyy, over a thousand soldiers were returned as part of the Istanbul exchange agreements. 

“We also hope to free the civilians who are still being held in Russia,” he added.

Read more

  • Russians damaged 44 medical facilities in Kharkiv since start of full-scale invasion

Gwara is a Kharkiv-based independent newsroom that works to tell you about our vibrant home while it resists Russia’s war of aggression and endures through its consequences. Please, consider buying our journalists a coffee or subscribing to our Patreon to support our reporting long-term.