Ukrainian prisoners of war in interviews with The Hill described events of torture and abuse at the hands of Russian forces.
Igor Kurayan, a 55-year-old Ukrainian POW who was set free by way of a prisoner exchange, told The Hill he was accused of financing a terrorist attack against Russian troops. During his imprisonment, he said Russian troops tortured him by twisting and cutting his fingers with pliers and metal scissors and electrocuted him for information.
"Every day he would be called out for the torturing, and they wanted him to hand over his friends," a translator told The Hill. "They even offered for him to become mayor of Kherson but he refused all their offers."
The Hill report detailed several other instances of Ukrainian POWs being tortured, with a few likening the event to "hell on earth."
Ukraine and Russia announced Wednesday they would exchange 144 soldiers each, making it the largest prisoner swap since the war began in February.
"During a large-scale exchange, 144 defenders of Ukraine were released from captivity," the Defense Intelligence arm of Ukraine's Defense Ministry wrote on Facebook. Over 2,500 Ukrainian troops laid down their arms in May after Russian forces captured Mariupol, The New York Times reported.
© 2022 Newsmax. All rights reserved.