Russia accused of ‘torture calls’ to POW families

Russia is accused of pressuring the families of Ukrainian prisoners of war through threatening phone calls and coercion tactics, according to Ukrainian officials and investigators.

Karina Remez has been searching for information about her husband, Dmytro Remez, since he was captured in 2022 while defending Mariupol during the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

For years she had no confirmed details about where he was being held.

In February 2025, a man contacted Remez claiming he had shared a prison cell with her husband. According to reporting by the Kyiv Independent, the caller initially offered personal details about Dmytro.

But the conversation soon shifted from information to alleged coercion.

The caller reportedly demanded that Remez sabotage Ukrainian infrastructure by blowing up a communications tower and sharing the locations of Ukrainian military positions. To increase pressure, the caller forced a man they claimed was Dmytro to speak on the phone.

“I heard screams,” Remez said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. “But I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t him.”

When she asked for proof that the voice belonged to her husband, the callers abruptly ended the conversation.

Ukrainian officials say such cases are part of a broader strategy targeting families of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, described the practice as an attempt to destabilize Ukraine.

According to Yatsenko, families have been pressured to carry out various acts including arson against military vehicles, revealing the locations of air defense systems, and other sabotage activities. More recently, relatives have reportedly been asked to register Starlink terminals for Russian use.

Ukraine’s security services issued SMS warnings earlier this month after Ukraine and SpaceX restricted Russian access to Starlink.

Humanitarian groups say gaps in official prisoner registration may make families vulnerable to manipulation.

Under the Geneva Conventions, detaining powers must register prisoners and notify the opposing side. However, Oksana Kokhan of the International Committee of the Red Cross said confirmation of a prisoner’s status can take three to four months.

During that time, families often search online for information. Since 2022, many relatives have joined online groups to exchange details about missing soldiers. Russian-linked Telegram channels have also posted photos of prisoners, presenting themselves as intermediaries.

Activists warn these contacts can quickly turn into coercion attempts.

“Once contact is established, the pressure begins,” said Hanna Naumenko of the Association of Families of Defenders of Azovstal.

Ukrainian officials say the campaign is likely coordinated by Russian security services, including the Federal Security Service.

Investigators from “Schema,” the investigative project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reported in 2026 that messages suggested cooperation between Russian officials managing prisoners and those targeting their families.

Yatsenko also warned that cooperating with such requests could put prisoners at greater risk.

“If a family cooperates, Russia has no incentive to exchange that prisoner,” he said.

Remez reported the contact to Ukrainian authorities. Her husband was later sentenced by Russia to 18 years in a penal colony in Siberia.

Despite the uncertainty, she continues to send packages and money.

“We don’t know if they reach him,” she said. “In his letters, he says they do.”

Key Takeaways

• Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of using “torture calls” to pressure families of captured soldiers.

• Families have reportedly been asked to commit sabotage or provide military information.

• Delays in POW confirmation under the Geneva Conventions may leave relatives vulnerable to manipulation.

Russia blackmails families of Ukrainian POWs with 'torture calls': "I heard screams"