Russian thugs’ brutal torture caused PoWs to die during interrogations

Russian military equipment destroyed after drone nets installed

Russian troops have resorted ­to such brutal torture in Ukraine that ­prisoners have died during ­interrogations, says a UN probe.

Confirming earlier findings of widespread war crimes, the group said Kremlin forces have systematically abused PoWs.

Reports of horrific treatment included water-boarding and sexual ­violation, including rape.

Erik Mose, chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, told the UN Human Rights Council: “In some cases, torture was inflicted with such brutality it caused the death of the victim.”

Mr Mose’s commission visited parts of Ukraine formerly held by Russian forces, such as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

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The report came on the day it emerged Russia is trying to rejoin the UN’s Human Rights Council.

And Moscow once again bombed grain facilities at Odesa and Izmail yesterday, while launching a strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih.

Torture was committed mainly in detention centres operated by the Russian authorities, said the report.

At least 36 victims interviewed mentioned the use of electrocution during interrogations, often on ­genitals, as well as threats of genital mutilation.

One victim was forced to witness the rape of another detainee, the report said. Prisoners most likely ­ to suffer torture were military ­personnel but also law enforcement, volunteers, activists, community leaders, medics and teachers.

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The sadistic treatments most commonly used were suffocation, waterboarding, severe beatings and threats of rape, it found.

Russia was given a chance to respond to the allegations at the UN council but no representative went. Ukrainian authorities are reviewing more than 97,000 reports of war crimes and have filed charges against 220 suspects.

The mobile justice team, established by the humanitarian law firm Global Rights Compliance, has worked with Ukrainian war crimes prosecutors in the Kherson region since it was reclaimed in November.

Of the victims’ accounts reviewed, “43 percent mentioned torture in the detention centres, citing ­sexual violence as a common tactic imposed by Russian guards”.

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