The death of 375 Ukrainian civilians and military personnel in Russian places of captivity has been confirmed. This was reported by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets at a briefing.
According to him, Ukraine has a separate list that currently contains 375 names. These are Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held hostage whose deaths have been verified. They returned to their homeland in coffins.
A slide presented at the briefing stated that Russia transferred 375 bodies to Ukraine that were verified as prisoners. 146 of them were officially confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and 229 were verified from other sources.
Conditions of detention
Ukrainians held in Russian captivity are often detained in inhumane conditions: overcrowded cells, inadequate food, limited access to medical care and hygiene products. Prisoners experience psychological and physical violence, torture, threats, and other forms of cruel treatment.
The ombudsman noted that five prisoners of war from the Istanbul list of critically ill persons were found among the repatriated bodies in August of last year. They were being prepared for exchange, but instead Ukraine received the bodies of the deceased.
That is why the priority for exchange should be the severely wounded and critically ill prisoners, – Lubinets emphasized.
Different numbers – one problem
In June 2026, the Office of the Prosecutor General cited somewhat different statistics – 311 deceased prisoners, military and civilians. The discrepancy of over 60 cases shows how difficult it is to verify the fate of people who fell into Russian captivity: some cases are confirmed only long after death.
Among the civilians who died in Russian captivity are journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna and Dniprorrudne mayor Yevhen Matvyeyev. The latter died in detention facility No. 3 in Perm Krai, Russia, from numerous injuries and trauma.
- 146 deaths confirmed by the Red Cross.
- 229 – verified from other sources.
- 5 critically ill persons from the Istanbul list returned as bodies instead of being exchanged alive.
The question that remains open: will the priority change for exchanging the critically ill change the actual practice of transfers, or are these 375 names only the current figure, not the final one.
