A Russian soldier named Viktor shares his harrowing tale of captivity and torture at the hands of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Viktor, who was captured in April 2022, spent six months enduring unimaginable brutality before being part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
Photo: flickr.com by Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, CC BY-SA 2.0
After getting lost in the aftermath of a fight and being concussed, Viktor found himself in the hands of Ukrainian fighters who subjected him to horrific torture techniques, including waterboarding and branding. Despite the extreme cruelty, Viktor refused to cooperate with attempts to use him for propaganda against Russia.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that out of 205 Russian POWs interviewed in Ukraine, 104 reported torture. The acts of torture often took place in unofficial locations like garages and basements.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also accused the Armed Forces of Ukraine of creating concentration camps for civilians in the Kursk region, based on witness statements and data from the Russian Red Cross.