Enlarge image
A Ukrainian prisoner of war shortly after his release in January 2024: The abuse was “horrific,” systematic and widespread
Photo: Danylo Pavlov / AP
The UN reports in a report that Ukrainian soldiers were tortured for months in Russian captivity.
The Ukraine Commission of Inquiry of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva said the abuse was "horrific", systematic and widespread.
It was said that prisoners of war were regularly severely beaten and tortured with electric shocks, sometimes to the genitals.
In its most recent report, the commission described, among other things, the case of a man whose tailbone, collarbone and teeth were broken while in captivity.
He also told the UN experts that he was beaten so badly that he bled from the anus.
In desperation, the man tried to commit suicide.
Since his release he has had to undergo 36 operations.
Prisoners of war are held in Russia and Ukrainian territory for between nine and 15 months, according to the report.
"The victims' accounts show that they were brutally and incessantly inflicted with severe pain and suffering throughout almost the entire period of their imprisonment," it said.
Prisoners would also suffer from hunger and therefore eat worms, soap, paper and dog food in their distress.
According to the commission, torture by Russian military personnel and prison officials constitutes war crimes.
The report also described torture and sexual crimes against Ukrainian civilians.
In one case, a 42-year-old pregnant woman and her son's 17-year-old girlfriend were raped by two Russian soldiers.
The commission further assessed the ongoing shelling of civilian buildings and the killing of civilians in Ukraine by the Russian military as a violation of international humanitarian law.
In January 2024, according to Ukrainian information, more than 8,000 Ukrainians - civilians and soldiers - were still in Russian captivity.
dpa/aka