UKRAINE, Jun. 26 — Russian forces torture 95% of Ukrainian captives and use at least 695 forms of abuse, reported Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian ombudsman.

On May 26, Olena Kondratiuk, deputy speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, said that Ukraine have returned from Russia the bodies of 375 Ukrainian captives bearing signs of torture.

She also said that, as of May, Russia was holding nearly 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 20,000 civilians in captivity. 

Lubinets added that Ukrainian officials have also documented 860 cases of Ukrainians being held in inadequate conditions in Russian prisons.

“The torture of Ukrainian POWs is not isolated incidents carried out by some individuals. These are systemic practices that exist with the silent support of the Russian state,” Lubinets said.

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