95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war subjected to torture in Russia - UN mission

Danielle Bell, the head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said this on the Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) TV channel.

"They are beaten with metal sticks and batons, severely electrocuted. They are stripped naked. It's horrible. It's the worst thing I've seen in my 20-year career visiting prisoners on behalf of the UN. Torture is widespread and structural. 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war have been tortured, and this is a war crime," Bell said.

According to her, the UN Monitoring Mission has full access to Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine. However, in Russia, they are denied access to communicate with Ukrainian defenders.

"The Ukrainian authorities are giving us unrestricted access to camps and temporary prisons with POWs," Bell added.

• The PACE is working on resolutions to release Ukrainian military and civilians from Russian captivity.