Russia has not established a single official prisoner-of-war camp since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a violation of the Geneva Conventions, according to Ukrainian officials.
Andriy Yusov, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said during the presentation of the study “Violations of the Rights of Prisoners of War to Health Protection and Medical Treatment: Consequences, Qualifications and Prospects” that this fact alone reflects the scale of Russia’s disregard for international humanitarian law.
“Over four years of full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation has not created a single POW camp. This alone could serve as the basis for a public advocacy campaign to the international community,” Yusov stated.
He added that Ukraine currently has information on around 300 locations where Ukrainian military personnel and civilians are being held.
According to him, international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations, still do not have access to these sites.
Yusov also said that Russian security services are directly involved in the abuse of prisoners, describing systematic torture as part of institutional practice within Russia’s security apparatus.
“Many acts of torture are carried out as a form of training for representatives of military special services. In particular, the FSB effectively uses Ukrainian prisoners as part of its training process,” he said, adding that officers are “sent to torture prisoners as if on professional development courses.”
According to him, Ukrainian authorities have recorded 406 deaths in captivity, while more than 95% of released prisoners report having been subjected to torture.
The official emphasized that the lack of international oversight and access to detention sites continues to enable systematic violations against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
