At least 177 Ukrainians have died in russian captivity since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Politico, citing data from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.
Viktoria Tsymbaliuk, a representative of the Ministry's Coordination Headquarters for Prisoners of War, mentioned that the actual death toll is likely much higher due to the lack of international oversight. Many bodies are not returned, and numerous prisoners are not even acknowledged by russia.
"The longer they spend in russian prisons, the closer they are to death", - Tsymbaliuk emphasized.
Around 3,600 Ukrainian prisoners of war and deported civilians have been returned through prisoner exchanges between moscow and Kyiv. However, thousands remain in russian captivity.
A report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the torture of Ukrainian military prisoners has been "widespread and systematic" and occurred with the approval of russian leadership. The report also noted that since March 2023, 11 deaths of Ukrainians in captivity have been documented, along with numerous suicide attempts, including one confirmed suicide likely due to repeated torture.
During the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, a resolution was adopted calling for the release and rehabilitation of Ukrainian prisoners. The resolution also demands that russia comply with international humanitarian law.