Russia has established a network of torture chambers for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

EU imposed sanctions on the heads and staff of colonies where Ukrainian POWs are tortured

On 13 July, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision imposing restrictive measures on 15 individuals and one entity responsible for violations of the rights of Ukrainian prisoners of war and unlawfully detained civilians. Most of those listed are heads and staff of penal colonies where prisoners are held.

Around 700 Azov POWs in captivity, over 250 already sentenced: presentation of the Civic Evidence report

On June 30, in Kyiv, at Ukrinform, the independent initiative Civic Evidence presented its report "The Honorable Captivity of Azov: How Propaganda, Violence, and Trials Shape the Fate of Ukrainian Prisoners of War in Russia." The study focuses on the situation of Ukrainian prisoners of war from the Azov regiment and exposes a mechanism that combines Russian propaganda machinery, practices of torture, and fabricated criminal prosecution. The authors document the systemic nature of Russia's violations of international humanitarian law and call for strengthening international mechanisms to protect prisoners of war.

Russian medics torture prisoners of war: a new study by human rights defenders

On 24 June, the Center for Civil Liberties presented the analytical study "Anatomy of Torture" in Kyiv. The document examines the role of Russian medical personnel in the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and illegally detained civilians.

Azov

Exchanges

“We are all significantly falling short,” Denys Prokopenko comments on the 75th prisoner exchange

On June 5, 2026, the 75th prisoner exchange took place. As part of the exchange, 185 prisoners of war and one civilian – who had been held captive by the Russians since 2022 – returned to Ukraine. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which expressed gratitude to the United States and the UAE for their assistance in organizing the exchange.

The leaving of Azov soldiers from the Azovstal plant

“Honorable Captivity” of Azov: Civic Evidence Publishes Report on the Fate of Azov Fighters in Russian Captivity

The independent initiative Civic Evidence has released a comprehensive report titled “‘Honorable Captivity’ of Azov: The System of Propaganda, Violence, and Criminal Prosecution of Servicemembers of the National Guard of Ukraine in the Russian Federation.” The report details the fate of the «Azov» service members in Russian captivity, illustrating how propaganda narratives, systemic violence, and the Russian judicial system cooperate to construct a negative image of the fighters and justify their heinous mistreatment.

“Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity”: Project on Russia’s Crimes Against POWs Presented in Kyiv

The project "Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity" was presented in Kyiv. The event marks the 4th anniversary of the Mariupol garrison's withdrawal from "Azovstal" after 86 days of heroic defense of the city. Back then, under the provided guarantees, the defenders of Mariupol fulfilled the order of the higher command to save lives. However, the Russian Federation violated these guarantees—the majority of the "Azovstal" defenders are now in their fifth year of suffering from daily crimes in Russian captivity.

EU imposed sanctions on the heads and staff of colonies where Ukrainian POWs are tortured

Around 700 Azov POWs in captivity, over 250 already sentenced: presentation of the Civic Evidence report