A 26-year-old Ukrainian woman described being tortured with electric shocks and hammers while held in Russian captivity for 6 months: 'They treated us like animals'

The Ukrainian soldier who returned home last week described the torture she and other women received at the hands of the Russians.

The Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform quoted her as saying that they were treated like animals by the Russians. Even animals don't do that.

One of the largest swaps of the war took place on Monday when108 women, including 12 civilians, were freed from Russian captivity. It was the first all-female prisoner exchange since the war started, according to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office.

He was taken captive while serving in Mariupol. She was one of the Ukrainian service members who surrendered after being trapped in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol for weeks. She was held for six months.

The easiest way to beat the girls is with hammers. Girls were hung from the rafters. I don't discuss the food because it was bad. The dogs are not given such food.

She said that those who had tattoos wanted to cut off their hands andscald them with boiling water because they were marines.

—Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) October 17, 2022

A growing number of firsthand accounts of torture at the hands of Russian forces have been reported. Regardless of who it is used on, torture is a war crime.

Since Ukrainians made advances into Russian-held territories, there have been more stories emerging.

An Associated Press investigation found that Ukrainians, including civilians, had been tortured in the city of Izium after Russian forces were pushed out. A woman told The Washington Post that she carved details of her torture into the walls of the place where she was held so people would know what happened if she died.

Russian forces have been accused of committing a number of war crimes, including torture and rape, against soldiers, civilians, and even children. According to reports, Russian forces have been taking Ukrainian children against their will in order to raise them as Russian, which may be a war crime.

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