Ukraine-Russia war– live: Captured Ukrainian soldiers reveal torture in Russian prison – report

Former Ukrainian captives have alleged they were subjected to torture, including electric shocks, while they were held at a detention facility in Russia . Speaking to the BBC over a dozen former detainees detailed the alleged physical and psychological abuse they suffered at the hands of Russian officers and guards at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility Number Two in Taganrog. They have since been released in prisoner exchanges. Guards at the facility carry black batons and metal bars to beat the captives in the legs, arms, or ‘anywhere they wanted’, senior lieutenant Artem Seredniak was quoted as saying. ‘It’s what they call ‘reception’,’ he said. The captives were left under-nourished and the injured were not provided appropriate medical assistance, according to the report, which details a number of potential serious violations of international law. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government is set to build new fortifications and military infrastructure in northeast regions that border Russia and Belarus at a cost of nearly $35m, prime minister Denys Shmyhal has said. ‘At the request of Kharkiv and Chernihiv… we are allocating 911.5m hryvnias ($24.7m) for Kharkiv and 363m ($9.8m) for Chernihiv to build military engineering and fortification structures,’ Mr Shmyhal said on Telegram. Key Points Captured Ukrainian soldiers ‘tortured’ in Russian prison US warns Russia and North Korea against military ties Russian air strikes on western Ukraine kill at least three, say officials Putin’s forces strike eastern towns after Kyiv makes gains in Bakhmut Captured Ukrainian soldiers ‘tortured’ in Russian prison 06:07 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Former Ukrainian captives have alleged they were subjected to torture, including electric shocks, while they were held at a detention facility in Russia. Speaking to the BBC over a dozen former detainees detailed the alleged physical and psychological abuse they suffered at the hands of Russian officers and guards at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility Number Two in Taganrog. They have since been released in prisoner exchanges. Guards at the facility carry black batons and metal bars to beat the captives in the legs, arms, or ‘anywhere they wanted’, senior lieutenant Artem Seredniak was quoted as saying. ‘It’s what they call ‘reception’,’ he said. The captives were left under-nourished and the injured were not provided appropriate medical assistance, according to the report, which details a number of potential serious violations of international law. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, told BBC that nine in every 10 former detainees claimed they had been tortured while in Russian captivity. “This is the biggest challenge for me now: how to protect our people on the Russian side,” Mr Lubinets said. “Nobody knows how we can do it.” Poland holds massive military parade as war rages in Ukraine 06:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Poland held its biggest military parade since the Cold War to showcase its state-of-the-art weapons as war rages in neighbouring Ukraine. President Andrzej Duda, the commander in chief of the armed forces, said in his opening speech that the protection of Poland’s eastern border is a key element of state policy. He also noted that Poland, a Nato member, is supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russia’s aggression of almost 18 months. ‘The defence of our eastern border, the border of the EU and of Nato is today a key element of Poland’s state interest,’ Mr Duda said. Some 2,000 troops, 200 vehicles and almost 100 aircraft took part in the parade to mark the 103rd anniversary of Poland’s victory over the Soviet Union’s Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920. Poland’s armed forces have more than 175,000 troops, up from some 100,000 eight years ago, Mr Duda said. Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland’s conservative government has focused on strengthening the armed forces and has spent more than $16bn on tanks, missile interceptor systems and fighter jets, many purchased from the US and South Korea. Members of the Polish military forces participate in the military parade on Armed Forces Day (REUTERS) US warns Russia and North Korea against military ties 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The US has warned Russia and North Korea against military cooperation between the countries, arguing it would violate UN resolutions aimed at restricting Pyongyang’s nuclear programme. ‘Our concerns persist as North Korea continues its assistance to Russia’s invasive war against Ukraine,’ US state department official Vedant Patel said yesterday. He said Moscow is compelled to rely on countries such as North Korea and Iran for military support. ‘Any security cooperation or arms trade between North Korea and Russia will violate a series of UN Security Council resolutions,’ he added. North Korea leader Kim Jong-un and Russian president Vladimir Putin exchanged letters yesterday pledging to develop their ties into what Mr Kim called a ‘long-standing strategic relationship’, according to Pyongyang’s state media KCNA. In his letter to Mr Putin, North Korea’s leader said the two countries’ friendship was forged in the Second World War with victory over Japan and is now ‘fully demonstrating their invincibility and might in the struggle to smash the imperialists’ arbitrary practices and hegemony’. Putin’s exploding mines are washing up on busy tourist beaches 05:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Russian mines are washing up on busy Black Sea tourist beaches, frequently exploding, and sometimes even killing holidaymakers. A Russian mine exploded in the Romanian Black Sea resort of Costinesti as recently as Monday, although it caused no injuries or damage, according to local reports. Another mine was also discovered in the water there. ‘It is believed that a Russian sea mine exploded,’ said the spokesman of the Romanian Navy, Colonel Corneliu Pavel, Sofia News Agency reported. ‘These sea mines are a danger not only to shipping but also to shore-based activities.’ Tara Cobham has more. Putin’s exploding mines are washing up on busy tourist beaches Aftermath of the Russian missile attack in Lviv 05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Aftermath of the Russian missile attack in the village of Stavchany (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Aftermath of the Russian missile attack in the village of Stavchany, Lviv (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) 05:05 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Russia’s ruble has fallen a long way in recent months, and the country’s central bank has stepped in to try to halt the slide. Until now, the government stood aside as the declining ruble helped its budget. But a weaker currency also poses the threat of higher prices for everyday people in Russia – and the government has finally moved to halt the drop. Here are key things to know about the ruble: Why is the ruble falling? Economic fundamentals play a role, though they aren’t the whole story. Russia is selling less abroad – mainly reflected in falling revenue from oil and natural gas – and it’s importing more. Kindergarten and residential building hit in overnight Russian strike 05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar A kindergarten and a residential building were damaged as a result of the overnight missile attack in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv. The multi-story residential building caught fire due to the falling missile debris yesterday, according to regional governor Maxim Kozytskyi. Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said one of the strikes hit the yard of a local nursery, injuring four people. ‘Two hours ago, this place was a children’s pavilion of our kindergarten. A missile directly hit the pavilion, creating a crater that is nine meters deep and 20 meters wide,’ he claimed, in a video message from the site. Russian drones threaten key port for grains export, says Ukraine 04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar A large group of Russian army drones entered the mouth of the Danube River and headed toward the Izmail river port near the border with Romania, the Ukrainian armed forces said today. Social media groups reported hearing air defence systems firing in the area near two Danube ports – Izmail and Reni. The governor of the southern Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, asked residents of Izmail district to take shelter at around 1.30am (local time) and cancelled the air raid alert one hour later. The Danube port accounted for around a quarter of grain exports before Russia pulled out of a UN-backed deal to provide safe passage for the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. Russia launches air strikes on Ukraine regions bordering Nato 03:58 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Russia has launched its largest aerial attack on regions bordering Nato in western Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion nearly 18 months ago. Russian air strikes hit two western regions of Ukraine bordering Poland – a Nato member – and other areas yesterday, killing three people in a factory and wounding more than a dozen, according to officials. The deaths were reported in the northwestern region of Volyn. Officials said an industrial enterprise in the regional capital Lutsk was struck in the overnight attack. Several people also needed hospital treatment, governor Yuriy Pohulyaiko said. Swedish industrial bearings maker SKF said its factory in Lutsk was hit by a missile overnight, killing three employees. Footage released by Ukraine’s state emergency service showed rescuers pulling a man from the rubble. Putin’s forces step up air strikes on Ukraine regions bordering Nato Ukraine pushes back Putin’s troops around Bakhmut – as Zelensky visits eastern frontline 02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday visited troops close to the frontline in eastern Ukraine, with his military reporting gains around the town of Bakhmut . The deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said that Kyiv’s troops had managed to retake nearly 2 square miles during the past week around the ruined Bakhmut – the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of Russia ‘s near 18-month war, which has gained symbolic significance for both nations. Mr Zelensky visited brigades involved in attacks on the section of the frontline facing Soledar, the Russian-held town north of Bakhmut. Ukraine pushes back Putin’s troops around Bakhmut – as Zelensky visits frontline Experts warn Ukraine’s frontline push is being damaged by West 01:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Western pressure on Ukraine ‘s counteroffensive to achieve a ‘Hollywood’-style breakthrough against Russia’s forces is ‘unrealistic’ and Kyiv’s allies must be prepared for the war to ‘drag on far longer’ than they imagined, experts have said. Facing heavily fortified Russian defences, including vast minefields and heavy shelling during its summer counteroffensive, Ukraine has been forced to broaden its focus away from the front lines With rains expected to muddy the battlefield in areas of the south and east of the country – including Zaporizhzhia – as soon as September, the ‘odds are getting longer’ on the ‘triumphant breakthrough’ many in the West were hoping for, analysts have told The Independent . Experts warn Ukraine’s frontline push is being damaged by West Fifteen wounded as Russian missiles hit Lviv Wednesday 16 August 2023 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Fifteen people were also wounded in the Lviv region, Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said, as Russian strikes hit western Ukraine. Six missiles damaged dozens of buildings and a kindergarten playground in and around the regional capital. Kozytskyi said the youngest victim was 10 years-old. Both Volyn and Lviv border Poland and are hundreds of miles from the front line, where Ukraine’s military is fending off Russian troops in the nearly 18-month-old war. ‘The children are very scared. They were hysterical, they were shaking. One of them even vomited from fear,’ said Lviv resident Dmytro Ivaschyshyn outside an apartment block as firemen dug through debris. ‘Thank God we are all alive.’ National grid operator Ukrenergo said power lines in the region were also damaged but that electricity was being restored to those affected. ‘These are the parts of the country where millions of people are seeking safety and refuge after fleeing the horrors of Russia’s invasion,’ Denise Brown, the United Nations resident coordinator in Ukraine, said in a statement condemning the attacks. ‘Russia’s persistent attacks hitting essential infrastructure in populated areas cause immense human suffering.’ At least two people were also wounded in the southeastern city of Dnipro, where Governor Serhiy Lysak said a business enterprise and a sports complex had been hit. Russian air strikes hit two Ukraine regions bordering Poland Tuesday 15 August 2023 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russian air strikes hit two western regions of Ukraine bordering NATO member Poland and other areas on Tuesday, killing three people in a factory and wounding more than a dozen, Ukrainian officials said. Local media said the attacks were the largest air assault on the Lviv region since the Russian invasion in February 2022. The fatalities were reported in the northwestern region of Volyn. Officials said an industrial enterprise in the regional capital Lutsk was struck in the overnight attack. Several people were also hospitalised, Governor Yuriy Pohulyaiko said. Swedish industrial bearings maker SKF said its factory in Lutsk was hit by a missile overnight, killing three employees. Footage released by Ukraine’s state emergency service showed rescuers pulling a man from the rubble. Reuters was able to confirm the location as the SKF factory. 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