Conditions
The most brutal torture primarily targeted former Ukrainian service members, anti-terrorist veterans, or individuals who resisted the occupation by participating in partisan movements, often coordinating their actions with official Ukrainian military units.
However, the local population not belonging to these categories who were arbitrarily detained also endured a range of serious violations. In addition to the inhumane conditions in the detention centres, victims were subjected to degrading treatment, with some enduring torture. There are credible allegations of rape and the killing of detainees.
The occupying power operated five detention cells for male detainees and one cell for women in the Balakliia police station. The cells for men were located on the same floor, numbered 0 through 4, while the female cell was located on a different floor in a separate area.
The police station had at least four separate interrogation rooms. Police department offices occupied the second and third floors. The second floor was likely used for living quarters, as the sound of moving beds was heard above the cells.
The overall conditions in the cells were deplorable, with most of them having no light, water, or toilet facilities. Even though the cells were small, up to 2 meters wide and 3.5-4 meters long, several people were held together. There was no ventilation or electricity in the cells, and no light bulbs. Some detainees were provided with candles for illumination. Some cells had two wooden bunks, a window with 5 mm thick glass above the door, reinforced with armoured glass or film, and a light bulb outside.
Some survivors report that the washbasin and toilet were depleted of water, so they were taken outside to the bathroom twice a day. Other victims said their cells had a toilet and washbasin, but the sewer was clogged, so detainees requested a bucket to flush dirty water. A 150 cm high partition separated the toilet from the rest of the cell.
The following are selected excerpts from interviews detailing the conditions.
A survivor, who was held in cell no. 2 together with six other people, described the conditions as follows:
“The cell was 4x2 meters and had a table, a toilet, and a washstand. Sometimes, there was water in the washstand. The partition separating the toilet from the rest of the cell was approximately 120 cm high. Books and candles were stored in the wall cabinet, which hung on the wall opposite the door and above the table. There was no electric light, and a window above the door faced the corridor. The cell door had a “feeding trough” window that was constantly open. Ventilation in the cells was turned on very rarely. The cell was furnished with two trestle beds made of reinforcement and chipboard. There was a Ukrainian Armed Forces uniform in the cell – two jackets, one covered in blood. And civilian clothes left over from other detainees. They were used to sleeping on. Two slept on the trestle beds, the rest on the floor.”
Diagram of cell No. 2 in the Police Station, Balakliia, April 19-20, 2022. Photo: Truth Hounds
One of the witness testimonies provides:
“The cell was for two persons, 1.5 by 2-3 meters in size: two bunks on the sides and a passage between them of about 50 cm. There was a toilet, but it was completely clogged with garbage. Instead of a functioning toilet, a bucket was covered with a rag. There were no mattresses, no light, no windows. Above the door hung a glass block – all the light. In this cell, the guards did not feed or give me water. They did not take me to the toilet either. My hands turned blue from the zip ties and were untied three hours later when I got through to the guards. I burned the zip ties with a lighter. A litre of water a day for three people and no more.”
Another survivor reported:
“There was no water in the sink or toilet. They took me outside in the morning and evening. We asked for water. You had to ask, and only then did they give it to you.”
Some victims describe being provided with food and drinking water in buckets and containers. Those detained there were fed three times a day. Two captured Ukrainian soldiers carried out the food deliveries and cleaned the station. One of the survivors recalls:
“We were fed buckwheat twice a day without any additional food. Without the support of the relatives who provided us with extra food, we would have faced severe hunger. The Russians allowed such “food transfers”.”
The women’s cell was located separately and included a camera in the ceiling. The soldiers would tell detainees: “We see everything here”. A female detainee held for four days in August 2022 described conditions as follows:
“They brought me to the cell with a bag on my head. I was kept in a cell with two beds. The cell was approximately 3x2 meters in size, and there were eight people in the cell. We had to sleep on a mattress on the floor. My cell also had a washbasin and a toilet, although practically no water was available. Buckets were provided for water collection, and when water was available, it was gathered in bottles. When there was no water for a long time, the guards brought it. The window was high on the wall, and we had no light. We were given food three times a day. It wasn't very good.”
Detainees in this cell were permitted to bathe; a notable provision compared to the conditions described elsewhere. Witnesses indicated that women were occasionally taken from this cell for interrogations. According to the testimony, interrogations at night were conducted by “Chechens”. In contrast, during the daytime, interrogations were conducted by Russians: “There were three guards in total. They were from the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk republics.”
Women’s cell in the Police Station, Balakliia. Photo: Truth Hounds
The woman who gave this testimony was captured together with her husband because, during searches of their house, the Russian soldiers found a flag of Ukraine. They were accused of their children serving in the armed forces of Ukraine. They denied it. The husband was detained and kept in cell no. 4 and released on 12 July 2022.
As for medical care, while the information is limited, one of the survivors stated that after being detained and severely beaten in the police station, he was transported to a clinic’s basement for treatment, where he remained for 10 to 15 days. He testified that he received some injections, and his arm was placed in a cast without prior X-rays.