Uncovered: Startling new accusations about Russian POW practices

Accusations against the Kremlin regarding its treatment of Ukrainian Prisoners of War have been numerous and severe, but one of the latest allegations against Moscow may be among the most egregious claims made against Russia.

Representatives from the families of Ukrainian prisoners of war met with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar in Ankara and the wife of one POW made a startling accusation according to a report from Ukrinform. 

“Today, it is clear that we receive not only the bodies of tortured prisoners of war during exchanges but also bodies that are unfortunately missing internal organs,” the wife of a captured soldier who defended Mariupol said according to a translation from United24. 

“This confirms that the black market for organ transplantation in the Russian Federation is active and, regrettably, involves our prisoners of war. Therefore, I believe this information must be shared with the entire world to halt this crime,” the woman added. 

The name of the woman wasn’t noted by Ukrinform’s report, but Daily Mail noted she was Larysa Salaeva, head of the Freedom to Defenders of Mariupol. Her mission was to get more help from Turkey in solving the most pressing humanitarian issues facing soldiers taken captive by Russia, a fact made clear by the Ukrainian Ambassador's comments on the issue.

“This is a real pain that motivates us to work faster and stimulate our international partners to take certain actions,” Vasyl Bodnar said. “One of the main demands is to create an international medical commission that would investigate the conditions of our prisoners of war.”

The proposed international medical commission would also help Ukrainian prisoners of war fight the health problems they face in their captivity. “This is one of the messages that was conveyed to the Turkish side,” Bodnar said. 

Whether or not the accusation the unnamed woman made is true is difficult to know, but if Russia is removing the organs of POWs, it would be more than just a very concerning humanitarian issue—it would be a war crime under international law. 

“The return of POW bodies without internal organs is not just a humanitarian issue but constitutes a war crime under international law. The act of removing organs from POWs violates the Geneva Conventions,” United24 explained. 

If the accusations are confirmed, the Russians could face international prosecution and sanctions. However, this isn’t the first time that Russia has been accused of committing war crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war in their custody. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @DPSUkr

On June 26th, 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine issued a report stemming from 600 interviews with former prisoners of war that found Russia had committed widespread torture and abuse of the former POWs. 

“Consistent with previous findings, every single interviewee from this recent exchange has given accounts of torture, from brutal beatings to prolonged stress positions, to electric shocks on genitals and to dog attacks,” a press release on the report read. 

Torture was allegedly applied to whole groups according to the former prisoners of war, and administrative procedures at facilities in Russia saw guards beat lines of POWs with police batons. Exhaustive and humiliating exercises were also administered on a daily basis.

Hunger was a major issue for many former prisoners of war, and many noted that they were deprived of medical care for long periods while prisoners. This—coupled with poor hygiene—led to extreme weight loss, skin disease, and lost teeth in some.

“Torture is a serious crime, unequivocally prohibited under international law, and never justified under any circumstances,” explained the head of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Danielle Bell in a quote reported in a UN press release which was released on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.”

“The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is an occasion to call on all States to eradicate the conditions and circumstances conducive to this heinous practice and hold perpetrators to account,” Bell added. 

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