The Russian Federation holds more than 10,000 civilians captive, 5,600 Ukrainians suffered torture

The Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin, said that the Russians are holding more than 10,000 peaceful Ukrainians in the occupied territories and on the territory of the Russian Federation. In criminal proceedings, 5,600 civilians have already been identified as victims of torture by the Russians.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin reported that: “There are different numbers. We estimate in tens of thousands, more than 10 thousand for sure. We are talking only about those who were forcibly resettled, not about those who made such a decision at their own discretion”, – he answered the question about the number of civilian hostages held by the Russian Federation.

According to Kostin, work is currently underway at the government level to create a registry of civilian prisoners. Yes, the first meeting of an international platform, similar to the one dealing with the return of Ukrainian children, has already taken place.

The Prosecutor General noted that the resolution of the UN General Assembly on this issue would be very important, “so that we can use other elements of communication and pressure on the Russian Federation to free our civilians and return them to Ukraine.”

Kostin added that, for their part, prosecutors together with law enforcement agencies bring to justice those who are guilty of the deportation of civilians and their illegal detention in the temporarily occupied territory and the territory of Russia.

Speaking about the number of victims of torture and inhumane treatment, the Prosecutor General reported that 5,600 Ukrainians were identified as victims of this type of war crime of the Russian Federation in criminal proceedings alone.

“However, the full figures may be much higher, as we do not have reliable information from the occupied territories,” he emphasized.

According to the Prosecutor General, the functioning of 164 torture chambers and other places of forced detention in the territories that were under occupation has been documented to date.

In February, Andriy Kostin said that 18 criminal proceedings were being investigated in Ukraine for the murder of 38 prisoners of war by the Russian military.