UN report details Russian execution of dozens of Ukrainian civilian detainees

GENEVA, Switzerland -- Russia has summarily executed 77 civilians being held in arbitrary detention during its war in Ukraine, according to a United Nations report released Tuesday (June 27).

Since Russia began its invasion in February 2022, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has documented 864 individual cases of arbitrary detention by Russia, many of which also amounted to enforced disappearances.

"We documented the summary execution of 77 civilians while they were arbitrarily detained by the Russian Federation," Matilda Bogner, head of the mission, told a news conference in Geneva.

These were 72 men and five women, while a further two male detainees died from torture, inhumane detention conditions and denial of medical care.

"Russian armed forces, law enforcement and penitentiary authorities engaged in widespread torture and ill-treatment of civilian detainees," said Bogner.

"Most of those we interviewed said they had been tortured and ill-treated, and in some cases subjected to sexual violence," which included rape.

"Torture was used to force victims to confess to helping Ukrainian armed forces, compel them to co-operate with the occupying authorities, or intimidate those with pro-Ukrainian views."

The report's findings were based on 1,136 interviews with victims, witnesses and others, plus 274 site visits and 70 visits to official places of detention run by Ukrainian authorities.

Overall, the report documented more than 900 cases of arbitrary detention of civilians, including children and the elderly.

"The vast majority of these cases were perpetrated by the Russian Federation," said Bogner.

Ukraine gave the monitoring mission unimpeded confidential access to official places of detention and detainees, with one exception, while Russia did not grant such access despite requests, she said.

The mission documented 75 cases of arbitrary detention by Ukrainian security forces, mostly of suspects accused of conflict-related offences.

The mission did not document any summary executions of civilian detainees by Ukrainian forces.

Appalling brutality

US President Joe Biden singled out "appalling brutality" by Russian authorities both at home and in occupied Ukraine in a statement Monday marking the United Nations day for support of torture victims.

"Torture destroys lives, families, and communities. Yet, every day, people around the world are subjected to this horrific violation of their human rights and human dignity," Biden said.

He cited "evidence of appalling brutality by members of Russia's forces" in Ukraine.

"Patterns of abuse included torture to compel co-operation with occupation authorities and during interrogations, such as through beatings, electrical shock, mock executions, and use of sexual violence," Biden said.

"Inside Russia itself, reports of torture in places of detention are commonplace, including against activists and critics of government policies."

Russian forces have long been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity since the start of the invasion.

Human Rights Watch in a report in April documented several cases of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations against civilians in occupied areas of the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions.

The cases involved repeated rape, summary executions, unlawful violence and threats against civilians as well as looting civilian property.

"The cases we documented amount to unspeakable, deliberate cruelty and violence against Ukrainian civilians," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

"Rape, murder, and other violent acts against people in the Russian forces’ custody should be investigated as war crimes."