Russia Operates 71 Facilities to Detain Captured Ukrainians, Including Two Specifically Used for Torture

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reports that at least 71 locations are being used to detain Ukrainians, both in territories temporarily occupied by Russia and within Russia itself, reported Ukrainian ZMINA Human Rights Center on December 13.

Among these, 2 facilities are reportedly being used specifically for torturing Ukrainian prisoners: a detention center in Taganrog and Penal Colony No. 10 in the Republic of Mordovia.

“Russia refuses to acknowledge this. Russian lawyers and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are not allowed access to these facilities. No criminal investigations have been initiated in Russia for the torture of Ukrainian civilians or prisoners of war in these or other penitentiary institutions,” said Tetiana Pechonchyk, head of the ZMINA Human Rights Center, during a conference in Malta.

Human rights advocates and officials have repeatedly raised concerns over the treatment of Ukrainian detainees in Russian custody. The reported use of torture and denial of access to international observers paints a grim picture of systemic abuse within these detention centers.

Pechonchyk emphasized that the lack of accountability and transparency in Russia’s penal system continues to violate international humanitarian laws, leaving Ukrainian prisoners vulnerable to inhumane treatment.

More than 50,000 people are reported missing due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Police.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that Ukraine remains without accurate data on service members held in Russian captivity, as the ICRC has been criticized for its inefficiency in verifying the status of prisoners of war.