Russia said Tuesday it was investigating alleged torture of Russian soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces and released in a prisoner exchange with Ukraine.
“The Russian Investigative Committee is verifying the facts of the inhuman treatment of Russian soldiers detained in Ukraine,” this powerful body responsible for criminal investigations in Russia said in a press release.
Russia and Ukraine have conducted several POW exchanges since the Russian offensive against their neighbor on February 24. The last one dates back to June 29 and involved 144 Ukrainians and as many on the Russian side.
According to the press release, some of the Russians released on this occasion reported “suffering numerous acts of violence” during their detention and referred to beatings, torture with electricity or deprivation of water or food.
Russia said last week it still holds more than 6,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war, without saying how many Russians were being held.
Ukraine accuses Moscow of numerous war crimes, which the Russian authorities consistently deny, even if the allegations are well documented.
Russia in turn accuses the Ukrainian armed forces of atrocities and orchestrating the crimes attributed to the Russian army.