Introduction and Context

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, reports have emerged of thousands of Ukrainian civilians detained in Russian-occupied territories, including parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea. These detentions, often arbitrary and lacking legal basis, have raised significant human rights concerns, with allegations of torture, enforced disappearances, and inhumane conditions. This article provides an informative overview of the situation, drawing on available reports without taking sides, to highlight the complexities surrounding Ukrainian civilian prisoners in these territories.

The Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine encompass areas seized during the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent war in Donbas, expanded by the 2022 invasion.

As of 2024, Russia controls roughly 20% of Ukraine, affecting an estimated 3 to 3.5 million people.

These regions operate under Russian-imposed governance, often disregarding Ukrainian and international law, leading to widespread human rights concerns.

Civilians in these areas face restrictions on freedoms, forced Russification, and, in many cases, detention for perceived opposition to Russian control.

Scale of Civilian Detentions

Estimates of detained Ukrainian civilians vary due to limited access and transparency. Ukrainian authorities report around 37,000 people, including civilians and military personnel, as unaccounted for, with at least 1672 civilians in custody. However, Ukrainian sources report that number could be higher, with some estimates citing 16,000 missing civilians. These detainees are held in a network of formal and informal facilities, including prisons, penal colonies, and makeshift centers like basements or abandoned buildings, across occupied Ukraine and Russia.

Civilians are often detained for expressing pro-Ukrainian views, refusing Russian citizenship, or being suspected of links to Ukrainian authorities.

Common charges include “international terrorism,” “espionage,” or “obstructing the special operation,” terms Russia uses for its invasion.

Detainees range from activists, journalists, and teachers to ordinary citizens, including minors and the elderly. For example, individuals connected to Ukrainian civil society or state institutions are targeted to suppress national identity, with some detentions seemingly random or for ransom purposes.

Conditions of Detention

Reports describe dire conditions in detention facilities. Detainees often lack access to medical care, clean water, hygiene products, or adequate food, with overcrowding and poor sanitation common. Torture and ill-treatment, including beatings, electrocution, and psychological abuse, are widely documented. Former detainees recount systematic humiliation, with some facilities, like Kursk Remand Prison No. 1, described as “torture chambers.” Sexual violence and denial of legal counsel further exacerbate the situation, with international monitors like the Red Cross frequently denied access, rendering detainees “invisible” to oversight.

Detainees frequently face trials in so-called courts in occupied territories, such as those in the “Donetsk People’s Republic” or “Luhansk People’s Republic,” which lack international recognition. These proceedings often violate fair trial standards, with charges like “discrediting the Russian army” or “extremism” applied broadly. Sentences can range from years to life imprisonment, and detainees rarely have access to independent lawyers. Human rights groups argue these trials may constitute war crimes due to their lack of legitimacy and due process.

The Case of Kostiantyn Zinovkin: A Personal Story Amid Systemic Abuse

One of the many Ukrainian civilians forcibly detained by Russian authorities in occupied territories is Kostiantyn Zinovkin, a 34-year-old civilian from Melitopol. His story encapsulates the devastating human impact of Russia’s policy of abducting and imprisoning civilians who resist or speak out against occupation. His wife, Liusiena Zinovkina, has emerged as a courageous and articulate voice calling international attention to the plight of civilian prisoners — individuals not engaged in combat, but targeted for their identity, beliefs, or peaceful resistance.

Kostiantyn was abducted on 12 May 2023 after leaving his home to run errands. Russian security agents later raided his family’s apartment, seizing personal belongings, documents, money, and even keys to his car, workshop, and family home. Initially, they claimed he was detained for violating curfew, but weeks later, the FSB informed the family that Kostiantyn was being charged with planning a terrorist act — a claim that was broadcast in a Russian state TV segment designed to portray him as dangerous and deranged. In the broadcast, he was labeled a “zombie” and a “sick person” merely for expressing views such as calling Ukraine an independent country and referring to Russia as an invader.

Despite the ongoing “legal process,” Kostiantyn remains without access to a proper defense. His family reports that he is represented only by a state-appointed lawyer, who has little power or willingness to advocate effectively. He is currently held in a detention facility in Mariupol, and his case has been transferred to the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, where Ukrainian political prisoners have routinely faced harsh and predetermined sentences.

Through all this, Liusiena Zinovkina has become an outspoken advocate not only for her husband but for the estimated 16,000 Ukrainian civilians reportedly held in Russian captivity. In speeches and publications, she has brought global attention to what she calls a hidden crisis, emphasizing the scale of suffering and the lack of international mechanisms to protect or return civilian detainees. In 2025 IGFM International Conference, she offered a haunting summary of the stakes:

“They will take everything away from you – your freedom, even your life.”

Matthias Boehning, ISHR Secretary-General, and Liusiena Zinovkina, during IGFM international conference in Bonn, 2025.

Liusiena recounts how her own psychological wellbeing has been tested even while living in safety in Berlin — a stark contrast to the indefinite, rights-deprived imprisonment her husband endures. She has experienced intimidation, insomnia, and helplessness, and yet continues to speak out publicly, pleading for greater political pressure and international recognition of civilian prisoners in occupied Ukraine. Her testimony is both deeply personal and politically urgent.

Her advocacy underscores a broader point: many civilians like Kostiantyn were not involved in combat or espionage, but were simply educators, volunteers, journalists, or citizens exercising peaceful dissent. Their stories reveal Russia’s strategy of repressing civil identity and resistance through enforced disappearances, torture, and propaganda. For Liusiena and countless other families, the call is simple yet profound — to recognize these prisoners not as criminals, but as victims of an unlawful occupation, and to ensure they are not forgotten.

Article by

Mohammad Mohseni