ICRC confirms it has had no access to Ukrainian POWs in Russia since 2024
The International Committee of the Red Cross has confirmed it has been unable to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia since 2024, a spokesperson told Reuters on 18 September. ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric had raised the issue during a July visit to Russia, and UN investigators have documented systematic torture in Russian detention facilities, which Russia denies.
Key points
- ICRC spokesperson confirmed to Reuters on 18 September that the organization has had no access to Ukrainian POWs in Russia since 2024
- ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric raised the access issue during her visit to Russia in July
- UN investigators have gathered evidence of systematic torture of Ukrainian prisoners in Russian detention facilities
- Russia denies torture or ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs
- Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters reported in May 2026 that at least 375 Ukrainians did not return alive from Russian captivity
- Bodies of some returned Ukrainian prisoners showed signs of torture and denial of medical care
- The 1949 Geneva Conventions grant the ICRC the right to visit POWs and inspect their conditions
Why it matters
The ICRC's roughly two-year blockade of access to Ukrainian POWs undermines the organization's core mandate under the 1949 Geneva Conventions and leaves the treatment of thousands of Ukrainian prisoners effectively unmonitored. UN-documented evidence of systematic torture, combined with Ukraine's count of 375 Ukrainians who died in Russian captivity, makes the dispute over access a matter of accountability for potential war crimes. Russia's denial of abuse stands in direct contradiction to the findings of UN investigators and to the forensic evidence on returned bodies.
What happened
On 18 September, an ICRC spokesperson told Reuters that the organization could confirm it has had no access to Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia since 2024. The statement came months after ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric raised the access question during her July visit to Russia and publicly urged greater openness about detention conditions. UN investigators have separately gathered evidence of systematic torture in Russian detention facilities, a claim Russia rejects. In May 2026, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters reported that at least 375 Ukrainians had not returned alive from Russian captivity, with forensic examinations of some bodies revealing signs of torture and denial of medical care. As of February 2025, Ukrainians were reported to be held in more than 180 Russian penal colonies, of which ICRC representatives could access only some.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both Ukrainian outlets frame the story around Reuters reporting and emphasize Russia's prolonged blocking of ICRC access. The coverage centers Ukrainian institutional voices, including Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets and the Coordination Headquarters, and foregrounds Ukrainian casualty figures from captivity. The framing contrasts Russian denials of torture with UN-documented evidence of systematic abuse and stresses the consequences for Ukrainians specifically.
Where reporting differs
One source names the ICRC president as Mirjana Spoljaric, while another refers to her as Svitlana Spolyarich. Ukrainian sources consistently use Mirjana Spolyarich (Мір'яна Сполярич).
Background
The ICRC is based in Switzerland and operates under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which grant it the right to visit prisoners of war and verify their conditions, treatment, food, and medical care. As of February 2025, Russia was reported to hold Ukrainians in more than 180 penal colonies, of which ICRC representatives could access only some. Spoljaric raised the access issue during her July visit to Russia. Dmytro Lubinets has said the lack of ICRC access makes it harder to confirm that individuals are held in captivity.