Russian prisons

Russia plans seven 'superprisons' by 2035, one in occupied Kherson

Russian authorities plan to build seven Federal Penitentiary Service complexes by 2035 combining pretrial detention centers and correctional colonies under different security regimes, including one in Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast.

16 September, 06:30 PM

Russian spy sentenced to four years in prison in Estonia

Harju County Court in Estonia sentenced Nikita Kuzmin, a dual Estonian-Russian citizen, to four years in prison for spying for Russia, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Aug. 26.

26 August, 01:04 PM

Russia frees former U.S. marine imprisoned since 2022

Robert Gilman, 32, who had been jailed in Voronezh since 2022, was released on Aug. 11, Reuters reported, citing U.S. President Donald Trump.

11 August, 07:58 PM

Russia expands prison military recruitment

The Russian parliament approved a package of bills that will allow the Defense Ministry to sign service contracts with prisoners convicted under 11 additional criminal offenses, independent Russian outlet The Moscow Times reported on July 22.

23 July, 03:15 AM

Conditions for Ukrainian prisoners improved after Viktoria Roshchyna’s death in Kizel jail

Conditions for Ukrainian prisoners in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Russian town of Kizel partially improved after the deaths of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna and Dniprorudne Mayor Yevhen Matvieiev, following an inspection at the facility, investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info reported on June 5.

6 June, 06:02 PM

Ukrainian ex-POW says Russian captivity is built on propaganda, fear and humiliation

Vladyslav Kharytonov was captured by Russian troops on his 21st birthday, after a brutal battle for the village of Kamyanka near Izium. More than two years later, he returned from captivity weighing about 60 kilograms — and with a clear understanding of how Russia’s prison system uses propaganda, humiliation and fear to break Ukrainian POWs.

26 May, 04:26 PM

Secret Putin decree allows detention without trial — report

At the very beginning of the Russo–Ukrainian war, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a secret decree enabling security forces to imprison Russian citizens and foreign nationals for opposing the war.

16 April, 07:57 PM

Russia fines captive Azov fighter for truth about invasion in Ukraine

Russian district court in Ulan-Ude has fined 38-year-old Ukrainian POW Anton Saikhiev 30,000 rubles (approx. $330) for "discrediting" the Russian military after he stated that Russia invaded Ukraine.

3 March, 11:45 AM

About 7,000 Ukrainians are held in Russian prisons – Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said about 7,000 Ukrainians are being held in Russian prisons and are treated more harshly than foreign political detainees, he told Belarusian independent outlet Zerkalo on Feb. 23.

23 February, 04:52 PM

EU sanctions 10 Russians over torture and death of Ukrainian journalist Roshchyna

The Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on 10 Russian citizens accused of torturing and causing the deaths of Ukrainian prisoners, including journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, the council said in astatement on Nov. 20.

21 November 2025, 02:43 AM

73-year-old US citizen tortured in Russian prison

A 73-year-old U.S. national, Stephen James Hubbard, is being held in a Russian prison and was repeatedly tortured because of his citizenship, The New York Times reported on June 10, citing returning Ukrainian POWs who were imprisoned alongside him.

11 June 2025, 01:24 AM

RSF: Ukrainian journalist Roshchyna faced torture, neglect before dying in Russian custody

Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who had been missing for months, was officially declared dead by Russian authorities in September 2024. However, her body has not been returned, and the exact circumstances of her death remain unknown. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in collaboration with three Ukrainian media outlets, spent months investigating her captivity, uncovering inhumane detention conditions, a complete lack of medical care, and a deliberate effort by Russian officials to conceal details of her fate. The report was published on March 3.

5 March 2025, 04:10 PM

Russian prisons