‘I’d never heard of this type of torture before’ Human rights observer says Russia’s first monitoring mission in Ukraine documented the Kremlin’s evolving state terror system — Meduza
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In January 2025, Memorial Human Rights Center members visited Ukraine and conducted the first monitoring mission by Russian observers since the start of the full-scale invasion. They visited the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions, along with the cities of Poltava and Odesa. During the trip, Memorial’s team documented violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes committed by the Russian army. The group plans to present its findings later this spring. Meduza spoke with Memorial observer Vladimir Malykhin about what he saw in Ukraine and why the monitoring mission is crucial to improving our understanding of contemporary Russia.

In January 2025, Memorial Human Rights Center members visited Ukraine and conducted the first monitoring mission by Russian observers since the start of the full-scale invasion. They visited the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions, along with the cities of Poltava and Odesa. During the trip, Memorial’s team documented violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes committed by the Russian army. The group plans to present its findings later this spring. Meduza spoke with Memorial observer Vladimir Malykhin about what he saw in Ukraine and why the monitoring mission is crucial to improving our understanding of contemporary Russia.

  • sniggleboots@lemm.eeEnglish
    6·
    8 hours ago

    The quote in the title is buried all the way at the bottom, it seemingly references the story in this article;

    Q: The war in Ukraine has basically unfolded live on television. With so much already available online, was there anything you encountered on this trip that surprised you?

    A: Strictly speaking, I wasn’t at the front. We were behind Ukrainian lines. It’s true that a lot is already known about this war — there are countless documents, photos, videos, and firsthand accounts from participants and witnesses. Overall, I didn’t come across anything fundamentally new that I hadn’t heard about before. But, of course, reading about something in the news and hearing about it directly from those who lived through it — especially the victims — is an entirely different experience. One story that struck me particularly hard was from a former Ukrainian prisoner of war who described the torture he endured. At a prison in Mordovia, where he was held, POWs were forced to stand with their hands behind their heads, facing a wall, without moving. From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with only short breaks — for six months. Later, the conditions were somewhat relaxed. While it’s well documented that a vast number of POWs have been tortured in Russia, I’d never heard of this specific type of torture before.