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Systematic Torture of Ukrainians Uncovered in Russia’s Expansive Prison Network

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Photo of Lucile Brizard
Lucile Brizard
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Systematic Torture of Ukrainians Uncovered in Russia’s Expansive Prison Network
A cross stands at a forest grave site in Izium, Kharkiv region, after an exhumation following the town’s liberation by Ukrainian forces, six months after the Russian army withdrew. (Source: Getty Images)

Russia has established a widespread network of prisons and pretrial detention centers where captured Ukrainians are systematically tortured, human rights activists revealed in April 2025.

As of that date, more than 180 such facilities have been identified, including 90 across Russia and the remaining in annexed Ukrainian territories. In a report by leading global media outlets under the Viktoriia Project on May 6, former prisoners described the brutal conditions in at least 29 of these centers, detailing physical abuse, torture, and deprivation.

IK-10 in Mordovia, known for its particularly severe treatment of detainees, has been singled out in the Viktoriia Project report for its abuse, with at least three deaths attributed to beatings and inadequate medical care.

Russia’s prison system for Ukrainian detainees spans over 180 facilities, including 90 in Russia and the rest in annexed territories, with reports of torture and inhumane conditions in 29 of these centers.

Former prisoners described IK-10 as comparable to Russia’s notorious SIZO-2 in Taganrog. Ukrainian intelligence sources confirm that continuous beatings and lack of medical care led to deaths in the facility.

Detainees were subjected to forced physical exercises, harsh beatings for trivial offenses, and deprived of basic needs, such as the ability to sit or use the toilet without permission. Food rations were minimal, with Sergei, a former prisoner, recalling being given only a tenth of a bar of soap for two weeks, while bleach was used as the only antiseptic.

Guards at IK-10 remained anonymous, wearing balaclavas or medical masks, and were known for enforcing cruel practices, such as forcing prisoners to sing the song “Katyusha” repeatedly. Ukrainian intelligence sources report that two units of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Typhoon and Rys, are involved in the abuse, with special units from the Far East also noted at the facility.

The exact number of Ukrainians held in Russian captivity is unclear, but Ukrainian authorities estimate over 16,000 civilians and 8,000 prisoners of war are detained.

The total number of detained or missing Ukrainians is believed to be around 50,000. The systematic abuse in these prisons underscores Russia’s broader strategy of repression as reported by the Viktoriia Project.

In related news, an international investigation has uncovered that the body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity, was returned to Ukraine on February 14, missing several internal organs, possibly to conceal the cause of death.

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