When Medicine Becomes a Tool for Torture: The Hidden Role of Medical Personnel in Russian Captivity

Opinion by Anna Trushova (kyiv, ukraine)Wednesday, October 14, 2026Inter Press Service KYIV, Ukraine, October 14 (IPS) - Medicine is supposed to protect human life and dignity. Yet testimonies from Ukrainians released from Russian captivity reveal a disturbing reality: medical personnel in places of detention have not only denied prisoners necessary treatment but, in documented cases, participated in torture and ill-treatment. Anna TrushovaThis is not simply a matter of individual doctors violating their professional duties. The findings of Anatomy of Torture: Testimonies on Torture and Ill-Treatment by Medical Personnel in Russian Captivity, an analytical brief by the Center for Civil Liberties and the NGO Military Medics of Ukraine, point to recurring patterns across different detention facilities. They raise urgent questions about accountability and the international response to abuses against Ukrainian prisoners of war and unlawfully detained civilians.The research draws on testimonies from 16 people released from Russian captivity, including former detainees and medical professionals. Their accounts describe the denial of medical assistance, the neglect of serious injuries and...