Over 16,000 civilians detained by Russia during the war in Ukraine are still held, UN estimates

The United Nations has determined that over 16,000 civilians captured by Russia during its ongoing war against Ukraine are still enduring "deprivation of liberty," according to a recent assessment. Many of these individuals are being held in isolation and held under circumstances that contravene international law. Claudia Fuentes Julio, the U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights, detailed this grim situation at an informal Security Council meeting called by Latvia and the United Kingdom, which took place on Monday to shed light on the plight of civilians and soldiers taken during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Julio's testimony revealed that both Ukrainian detainees and prisoners of war continue to suffer at the hands of Russia, including instances of "widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment." Sexual violence has also been reported. She made these claims after interviewing 910 Ukrainian prisoners of war and 403 civilian detainees upon their release.

However, the U.N. has been unable to enter detention facilities in Russia, and their estimated number does not differentiate between adults and children. Over 95% of the Ukrainian prisoners of war and 85% of the civilian detainees reported experiencing torture or ill-treatment, often repeatedly, and highlighted sexual attacks and inhumane conditions, such as food deprivation and insufficient medical care.

The office, based in Geneva, has documented the execution of 129 Ukrainian prisoners of war at the onset of their captivity and the deaths of 48 Ukrainian prisoners of war in custody due to torture, lack of medical assistance, or other inhumane conditions. Former detainees shared their harrowing accounts with the U.N., including Crimean Tatar human rights activist Leniie Umerova, who has been labeled a "political prisoner" by Russia for nearly two years, and Khuan Leyva Garsiya, a Ukrainian soldier who endured months at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol before being turned over to the Russians in May 2022.