Ukrainian soldiers released from captivity reported facts of torture and ill-treatment by Russian invaders, captives were forced to have sexual intercourse, torture was used with particular cruelty against officers of the Armed Forces and Azov fighters, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has said.

"During a monitoring visit to a healthcare institution where the Ukrainian military released from captivity are located, they reported the facts of torture and ill-treatment by the occupiers. Most of the Ukrainian military personnel were taken prisoner by the occupiers near Mariupol. First they were kept in basements and outbuildings. Then they were transferred to guardhouse, pretrial detention center in Donetsk and penal colony No. 120, which are located in the temporarily occupied territory," she wrote on Facebook.

Subsequently, the Ukrainian military was transferred to the pretrial detention centers in Taganrog and Voronezh. At this time, they wrapped their eyes with tape, put a bag over their heads and tied their hands with ropes.

"With particular cruelty, torture was applied to the officers of the Armed Forces and the fighters of the Azov special forces detachment. During interrogations, Ukrainian prisoners of war were put on their knees, beaten with a machine gun butt on their toes and open wounds. They used pliers, threw a noose around their necks and strangled them. In addition, they were tortured with electric current, beaten using hammers and kicking them," the ombudsman said.

According to her, the occupiers injected the prisoners with unknown drugs starting with the letter "M," after which they lost consciousness and lost their memory.

"The invaders forced Ukrainian soldiers to learn the poem "Forgive us, dear Russians," the anthem of the Russian Federation, the history of the creation of the coat of arms and the flag of the Russian Federation, otherwise they used torture. Ukrainian female prisoners of war, who were kept in the Donetsk pretrial detention center, said that there were at least 17-20 of them in cells designed for 2-3 people. Instead of a bathroom there was a bucket," the ombudsman said.

Also, captives were forced to have sexual intercourse. Medical assistance to the wounded Ukrainian servicemen was not provided. The doctor examined them only before being transferred to the POW camp in Sevastopol, where assistance was provided by representatives of the ICRC.

"Ukrainians were not given water, only 1.5 liters per 30-40 people, they were limited in nutrition – on the territory of CADO, the daily ration consisted of a piece of bread and salo. Sometimes, giving meat, the occupiers mocked and said that it was "human," Denisova said.

In addition, the Ukrainian servicemen were deprived of the opportunity to contact their relatives. The ICRC Central Tracing Agency's identity cards for informing his family, as required by Article 70 of the 1949 Geneva Convention, to be sent immediately after capture, were filled out only immediately before the exchange.

"I appeal to the UN Commission to Investigate Human Rights Violations during the Russian military invasion of Ukraine to take into account these facts of Russian violations of the rights of citizens of Ukraine," the ombudswoman said.