Amnesty International: Russia deliberately holds Ukrainian prisoners incommunicado

This is stated in a new report by Amnesty International.  

The organization conducted interviews with 104 people in Ukraine between January and November 2024. Among them were five former Ukrainian prisoners of war, family members of 38 prisoners of war, family members of 23 Ukrainians missing under special circumstances, 28 formerly detained civilians and their families, as well as 10 Russian prisoners of war currently held in Ukraine.  

Amnesty International concluded that Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held by Russia since February 2022 have been deliberately cut off from the outside world, often for years. The lack of transparency about their whereabouts has allowed torture and unlawful killings to continue without accountability.  

"The systematic incommunicado detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians by Russia reflects a deliberate policy aimed at dehumanizing and silencing them, while leaving their families in agony as they await news of their loved ones," said Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

According to Amnesty International, prisoners are entirely dependent on the mercy of their captors for survival.  

“This is not a series of isolated incidents — it is a systematic policy that violates all norms of international law,” the report states.  

At the same time, Russia refuses to allow international organizations access to the prisoners.  

The organization emphasized that prolonged incommunicado detention may constitute inhuman treatment.  

In addition, Russian authorities deny prisoners access to medical care.  

“Amnesty International calls on Russia to end its campaign of torture, enforced disappearances, and incommunicado detention of Ukrainian detainees,” the organization said.  

Amnesty also stressed that Russian authorities must inform relevant bodies about the status of all prisoners of war and ensure international humanitarian organizations have unrestricted access to them.  

“Russia must also provide adequate medical care to all Ukrainian detainees and directly repatriate severely ill and wounded prisoners of war, including through the creation of joint medical commissions. Civilians unlawfully held in detention must be released,” Amnesty concluded.  

Prisoner exchange on February 5  

On Wednesday, February 5, Ukraine brought home 150 prisoners of war.  

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the 150 returned defenders include officers, soldiers, sergeants, National Guard members, and police officers.  

“Among them are Navy servicemen captured in Mariupol and Zaporizhzhia regions, Air Force personnel, paratroopers, ground forces troops, National Guard members, border guards, territorial defense fighters, and police officers. They come from different parts of the front, but they all have one thing in common: they fought for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.  

He added that some returned soldiers had been held in Russian captivity for more than two years.  

“I thank our partners, particularly the UAE, and everyone who supports us on this path. We are working to bring everyone home,” Zelenskyy concluded.

• The Coordination Headquarters on Prisoner of War Issues, together with the Foreign Ministry and the President's Office, has developed proposals for an 'all-for-all' prisoner exchange in case of negotiations with Russia.