In the 38th UN report on the human rights situation in Ukraine for the period from December 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024, the organization counted the execution of 32 Ukrainian prisoners of war by the occupiers, which is much more than in any of the previous periods.

Experts conducted interviews with 60 Ukrainian soldiers who were recently released from captivity.

Ukrainian soldiers spoke of terrible treatment in captivity by the occupiers, the inability to communicate with families and the lack of satisfactory food and medical care.

In particular, the Russian military and officials torture prisoners, including using beatings, electric shock, forcing them to remain in an uncomfortable position for a long time, threatening or simulating execution. More than half of the prisoners survived sexual violence.

The report notes that these data confirm that the Russian army continues to use previously established practices of torture, ill-treatment, deaths in captivity, incommunicado detention, forced disappearances and appalling conditions of detention.

"Moreover, during the reporting period, OHCHR received reports of the apparent execution of at least 32 recently captured Ukrainian POWs in 12 separate incidents. OHCHR verified three of these incidents in which Russian servicemen executed seven Ukrainian servicemen hors de combat," the report notes.

The UN also cites interviews with 44 Russian prisoners of war who, although they do not claim torture in official places of detention, gave "credible accounts of torture or ill-treatment in transit places after their immediate evacuation from the battlefield."

In addition, the mission report contains information about the violence of the Russian administration against residents of the occupied territories of Ukraine. This includes the killing of civilians, arbitrary detentions and restrictions on freedom of expression.

According to the UN, the total number of identified civilian casualties in Ukraine remains comparable to the number of casualties in the previous period.