Takeaways from the AP investigation into thousands of Ukrainian civilians held by Russia in prisons
Thousands of Ukrainian civilians are detained in a network of formal and informal prisons across Russia and the territories it occupies, where they endure routine torture, psychological abuse and even slave labor
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of Ukrainian civilians are detained in a network of formal and informal prisons across Russia and the territories it occupies, where they endure torture, psychological abuse and even slave labor. And Russia plans to build dozens more prisons, according to a government document obtained by The Associated Press.
The AP spoke with dozens of people, including 20 former detainees, along with ex-prisoners of war, the families of more than a dozen civilians in detention, two Ukrainian intelligence officials and a government negotiator. Their accounts, as well as satellite imagery, social media, government documents and copies of letters delivered by the Red Cross, confirm a widescale Russian system of detention and abuse of civilians that goes directly against the Geneva Conventions.
Here are findings from the AP investigation:
1. The number of Ukrainian civilians held in Russian prisons is now in the thousands, many without charges. At least 4,000 civilians are held in Russia and at least as many scattered around the occupied territories, according to Vladimir Osechkin, an exiled Russian human rights activist. Ukraine’s government believes around 10,000 civilians could be detained, and the numbers have grown rapidly over the course of the war. Detention can now be for alleged transgressions as minor as speaking Ukrainian or simply being a young man in an occupied region. About 150 civilians have been freed to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
2. A Russian government document obtained by the AP dating to January outlined plans to create 25 new prison colonies and six other detention centers in occupied Ukraine by 2026. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin in May signed a decree allowing Russia to send people from territories with martial law, which includes all of occupied Ukraine, to those without, such as Russia. This makes it easier to deport Ukrainians who resist Russian occupation deep into Russia indefinitely, which has happened in multiple cases documented by the AP.
3. Abuse is routine, including repeated electrical shocks, beatings that crack skulls and fracture ribs, and simulated suffocation. Every former detainee interviewed by the AP said torture was a constant, and many told the AP they witnessed deaths. A United Nations report from June said 91% of prisoners “described torture and ill-treatment.”
4. Russia will not acknowledge that it holds civilians, let alone why. But some are used for slave labor in digging trenches for Russian soldiers and mass graves. The prisoners serve as future bargaining chips in exchanges for Russian soldiers, although international law forbids the exchange of civilians for prisoners of war. The U.N. has also said there is evidence of civilians being used as human shields near the front lines.