Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk has called for urgent international intervention following allegations that Russian medical personnel participated in the torture and abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war and detained civilians.
Matviichuk, who heads the Centre for Civil Liberties, a co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, made the appeal following the release of a report titled Anatomy of Torture, which documents testimonies of alleged abuses against Ukrainians held in Russian detention facilities.
According to the report, some medical personnel allegedly denied detainees necessary treatment, subjected them to electric shocks and participated in torture. One former prisoner claimed that a medical worker used a taser on detainees before giving them medication.
Matviichuk also recounted the case of a Ukrainian soldier who allegedly discovered the words “Glory to Russia” carved into his skin after regaining consciousness following surgery. The soldier, who was later released through a prisoner exchange, is reportedly undergoing a painful process to remove the inscription.
The report also identified a medical worker known by detainees as “Doctor Evil” at a detention facility in Russia’s Republic of Mordovia. Ukrainian human rights group KHPG identified the individual as Ilya Sorokin, who was reportedly charged in absentia by Ukraine’s Security Service in December 2025.
Matviichuk said the allegations reflected a broader pattern of abuse documented through interviews with former detainees, relatives of people still held in captivity and other sources. She called on the International Criminal Court to pursue accountability for the alleged crimes and urged Russia to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross full access to detained civilians and prisoners of war.
She also called for the establishment of a specialised international medical commission to assess detainees’ conditions and urged healthcare professionals worldwide to speak out against alleged violations of medical ethics.
The Centre for Civil Liberties and other Ukrainian organisations have also appealed to the World Health Organisation to intervene over alleged violations of detainees’ right to medical care. The WHO declined to comment when approached by Metro.
