A Ukrainian soldier had the words “Glory to Russia” branded on him while he was held in Russian captivity, according to a gruesome photo.
The unidentified soldier, one of those recently released in a huge prisoner swap between the warring nations, was seen with scars and stitches from his chest to his abdomen in the photos released online Monday and authenticated by Ukrainian intelligence.
It shows the words “Glory to Russia” branded in Russian on the right side of his wounded stomach.
The picture was taken by a doctor who examined the soldier after he was returned from captivity as part of a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia, the Ukrainian outlet Hromadske reported.
“Unfortunately, this is a real photo,” Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov told the publication.
“During an examination at one of the regional centers where the guys are undergoing rehabilitation, the doctor simply couldn’t stand it, took a picture of it and posted it online.
“This is evidence of what our defenders are going through in captivity,” Yusov said.
Around 90% of returned Ukrainian captives surveyed claimed that they were neglected in terms of food and medical care by the Russians, Yusov said, adding that many of the soldiers were suffering from critical weight loss.
“This is visually very visible and there is a difference in the state in which the occupiers return to Russia and the state in which the Ukrainian defenders return,” he said.
On Monday, Ukraine and Russia carried out the first round in the latest prisoner swap, exchanging soldiers under the age of 25.
The exchange of more than 1,200 prisoners of war each, which would also include gravely wounded soldiers, was a days-long process, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
This was part of an agreement made between Moscow and Kyiv during the latest round of peace talks between the two countries held in the Turkish city of Istanbul on June 2.
A second group of POWs was exchanged on Tuesday, Ukrainian media reported.