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War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity: Amnesty Exposes Russian Abuses of Ukrainian POWs
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![Liubava Petriv]( "Liubava Petriv")
Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian captives held by Russian authorities have been subjected to torture, enforced disappearance, and prolonged incommunicado detention, Amnesty International reports on March 4. The human rights organization describes these actions as violations of international law, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The new report is based on interviews with 104 individuals in Ukraine, including former POWs, family members of missing persons, and Russian POWs currently held in Ukraine. The findings highlight systematic mistreatment and the deliberate denial of communication between captives and their families.
During the presentation of its report, Amnesty International stated that in the past year, it had documented at least 109 executions of Ukrainian soldiers in captivity in 2024, as well as systematic torture of Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces.
According to Amnesty International, many Ukrainian POWs remain in incommunicado detention, with their families left without information about their whereabouts or well-being. International humanitarian organizations have also been denied access, violating key provisions of the Geneva Conventions that guarantee POWs the right to medical care, correspondence, and independent monitoring.
“Russia’s systemic incommunicado detention of Ukrainian and civilians reflects a deliberate policy designed to dehumanize and silence them, leaving their families in agony as they wait for news about their loved ones,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard.
She stressed the severity of the situation: “Torture takes place in complete isolation, with victims entirely at the mercy of their captors. This is not a series of isolated incidents—it is a systematic policy that violates every tenet of international law.”
Families of those in captivity describe living in uncertainty, with little to no official communication. Olena Kolesnyk, whose husband Serhii was captured in July 2024, shared her distress: “I won’t know where to look for my husband or where to write letters. This black darkness of not knowing—it’s killing me.”
The report highlights the thousands of Ukrainians classified as “missing in special circumstances”, with many believed to be in detention without acknowledgment from Russia. While Russian authorities have at times notified the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) about individual POWs, Amnesty International notes this is not standard practice, leaving hundreds, if not thousands, unaccounted for.
The case of Khrystyna Makarchuk underscores the difficulty of confirming a loved one’s fate. Her husband, Volodymyr, was seen on Russian television describing his capture, and a returned POW confirmed his detention. Yet, Russia has not formally acknowledged his imprisonment, a practice Amnesty International classifies as enforced disappearance, a serious violation of international law.
Civilians have also been subjected to enforced disappearance, particularly in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. Amnesty International reports that arbitrary arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances have been used as intimidation tactics against civilians, amounting to crimes against humanity.
The report includes accounts from former POWs who described severe mistreatment in Russian captivity.
Volodymyr Shevchenko, who was held for over two years, recounted his experience:
“They started torturing me right away. They beat me with stun guns, these special sticks, it was very painful. I saw how the guys started to die after that. Their hearts just couldn’t take it anymore.”
Denial of medical treatment was also reported. Serhii Koroma, a former POW who was seriously wounded before his capture, stated that he was given only a topical antiseptic once and left to heal or die.
Amnesty International calls on Russia to end incommunicado detention, enforced disappearances, and mistreatment of Ukrainian captives. It urges Russia to account for all POWs and detained civilians, grant international humanitarian organizations access, provide adequate medical care, repatriate seriously ill or wounded prisoners, and release unlawfully detained civilians.
The organization also calls on the international community to take action.
“The international community should use all its influence and tools, including universal jurisdiction, against Russia to stop these heinous crimes under international law and ensure accountability,” said Callamard. “Without justice, the suffering of Ukrainian POWs, civilians, and their families will only deepen.”
Previously, it was reported that a video circulating on social media appears to show the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia’s Kursk region.
