Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilian captives to torture, prolonged incommunicado detention, enforced disappearance and other inhumane treatment, which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said in a new report today.
The report, A Deafening Silence: Ukrainians held incommunicado, forcibly disappeared and tortured in Russian captivity, documents how Ukrainian POWs and civilians held captive by Russia since February 2022 are being deliberately cut off from the outside world, often for years. A lack of transparency over their whereabouts has allowed for their torture and other ill-treatment in detention, and even unlawful killings of POWs, to continue with total impunity.
“Russia’s systemic incommunicado detention of Ukrainian POWs 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.
“Torture takes place in complete isolation from the outside world, with the victims entirely at the mercy of their captors for survival. This is not a series of isolated incidents – it is a systematic policy that violates every tenet of international law.”
Amnesty International’s report is based on interviews with 104 people in Ukraine between January and November 2024. These include five former Ukrainian POWs, family members of 38 POWs, family members of 23 Ukrainians “missing in special circumstances”, 28 formerly detained civilians and their families, and 10 Russian POWs currently detained in Ukraine.
Darkness of not knowing
While their exact numbers are unknown, it is likely that thousands of Ukrainians, both military personnel and civilians, are currently held in captivity in Russia and occupied Ukraine.
The majority of Ukrainian POWs are held incommunicado, with their families receiving little to no information about their fate, status or whereabouts.
At the same time, Russian authorities have denied international organizations access to them as part of a deliberate policy to put POWs beyond the protection of international law. Prolonged incommunicado detention may amount to inhuman treatment.
Olena Kolesnyk, whose husband Serhii was captured in July 2024, said the little information she had about his whereabouts was unofficial and unconfirmed. “I won’t know where to look for my husband and where to write letters. This black darkness of not knowing – it’s killing me,” she told Amnesty International.
The missing
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians are considered “missing in special circumstances” by Ukrainian authorities. Many are likely in detention, while others may have been killed. In some cases, Russia has acknowledged individual POWs’ captivity by notifying the ICRC as required by international law. However, it is likely that Russia has not notified the ICRC of the status of hundreds or thousands more POWs.
Khrystyna Makarchuk’s husband Volodymyr appeared on Russian television, describing how he was captured. In addition, a returned POW who knew Volodymyr personally confirmed to his family that he was in captivity. Yet Russia has not confirmed Volodymyr’s detention. Russia’s failure to acknowledge the detention of individuals like Khrystyna Makarchuk’s husband amounts to enforced disappearance.
Civilians also account for a considerable number of those believed to be subjected to enforced disappearance. Russia has long used arbitrary arrest, torture and enforced disappearance to intimidate the civilian population in areas it controls. Such acts amount to crimes against humanity.
Systemic torture and denial of medical treatment
Amnesty International documented harrowing accounts of torture and denial of medical treatment in Russian captivity.
“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,” said Volodymyr Shevchenko, a former POW who spent over two years in Russian captivity.
Serhii Koroma, a former Ukrainian POW who was badly wounded before being captured, reported that he was given no more than a topical antiseptic on one occasion and left to heal or die.
Violation of the laws of war
Russia’s actions blatantly violate the Geneva Conventions, which guarantee POWs the right to regular correspondence, access to medical care, and visits from international organizations.
Amnesty International calls on Russia to stop its campaign of torture, enforced disappearance, and incommunicado detention against Ukrainians in captivity. Russian authorities must also notify the relevant authorities of the status of all its POWs, and allow unhindered access to them for international humanitarian organizations. Russia must also ensure adequate medical care is provided to all Ukrainians in captivity and directly repatriate seriously sick and wounded POWs, including through establishing mixed medical commissions. Unlawfully detained civilians must be released.
“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 Agnès Callamard. “Without justice, the suffering of Ukrainian POWs, civilians, and their families will only deepen”.