Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The UN has evidence that Ukrainian servicemen are being subjected to systematic ill-treatment in Russian captivity.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not had access for two years to Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia, Reuters reports.
An ICRC spokesperson told the agency on Friday, 18 September: “We can confirm a lack of access to prisoners of war in Russia since 2024.” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric raised the issue during her visit to Russia in July.
Thousands of Ukrainian prisoners of war are likely held in Russian detention facilities. UN investigators have collected evidence of systematic torture of detainees in such places. Russia denies torture and other forms of ill-treatment of prisoners of war.
Spoljaric said: “If you want to defend humanity, you must speak about detention and about what is happening in prisons.”
The Geneva Conventions of 1949 are intended to limit the brutality of war. They provide that the ICRC, based in Switzerland, should visit prisoners of war and inspect the conditions of their detention, their treatment, their food, and their access to medical care.
Russia has long restricted Red Cross access to Ukrainian prisoners of war. In February 2025 it was reported that Russia has more than 180 colonies where Ukrainians are held. However, organization representatives can access only some of them. Dmytro Lubinets also said that the lack of access makes it harder to confirm that people are being held captive.
The problem is not only about the ability to visit detainees. In May 2026 the Coordination Headquarters reported that at least 375 Ukrainians did not return alive from Russian captivity. Some of the deceased showed signs of torture and denial of medical care.
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