Russia tortured 375 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in captivity

As part of repatriation measures, Russia has handed over to Ukraine the bodies of 375 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who were in captivity and died while in custody. This was announced by Bohdan Okhrimenko, head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, on May 4.

According to him, 146 of the 375 dead were confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross as having been in captivity. Information about another 229 dead was provided by other sources, including Ukrainians released from captivity.

According to the official, of the 375 dead:

146 people were officially confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross as prisoners of war;

229 people were considered prisoners of war based on other sources, including testimonies of released comrades who saw them alive.

“Russia handed over their bodies with signs of torture, exhaustion, and lack of medical care,” he said.

Ukrainian law enforcement officers are documenting all such cases and transferring the collected materials to the International Criminal Court.

According to the Third Geneva Convention, the Russian Federation bears full responsibility for the life and health of prisoners. By notifying the International Committee of the Red Cross about the capture of a person, the Russian Federation guarantees him food, clothing, and medical care. However, the transfer of bodies with signs of torture once again records the war crimes of the occupiers. Ukrainian law enforcement officers are documenting all such cases for transfer to the International Criminal Court.

The head of the Secretariat of the Coordination Headquarters of Ukraine noted that more than a thousand Ukrainian military and civilians have been in Russian captivity since 2022. The Ukrainian side is working with the Russian Federation to return this category of prisoners first of all.

In October 2024, it became known that Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina, who disappeared on August 3, 2023 in the occupied territory, died in Russian captivity. In April 2025, the Russians returned Roshchina’s body with signs of torture and without some internal organs. In August 2025, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine announced the announcement of suspicion against the head of SIZO No. 2 in Taganrog, Alexander Shtoda, who organized the torture, beatings and humiliation of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina.