Ukraine Repatriated 184 Bodies of Its Citizens Who Died in Russian Captivity Since 2022

From February 24, 2022, to the end of October 2024, 184 bodies of Ukrainians who died in Russian captivity have been returned to Ukraine. This includes 169 soldiers and 15 civilians, according to the Media Initiative for Human Rights, citing the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

The Media Initiative for Human Rights notes that the actual number of Ukrainian prisoners who died is likely much higher. The organization has gathered testimonies from 122 Ukrainian soldiers who were in Russian captivity, describing systematic torture, isolation from the outside world, and a lack of proper medical care.

“There are still many defenders in Russian captivity who have been there since the early months of the full-scale war, over 30 months. Russia does not allow monitoring missions, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, access to them. They do not inform Ukraine about the deteriorating health or deaths of prisoners. All of this constitutes gross violations of the Geneva Conventions,” the report states.

Documentarians have also recorded numerous cases of prisoner deaths due to inhumane conditions and torture in places of detention.

Among the 169 military bodies returned, 55 were those of soldiers who died from explosions in the Olenivka prison .

Earlier, a captured Russian soldier revealed that Russian troops had been instructed to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). This was reported by Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, citing the Forpost Brigade on December 19.