Former Ukrainian detainees and government officials have accused Russia of widespread and systematic torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees, alleging beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence and prolonged incommunicado detention. Russia rejected the claims, calling them a “disinformation campaign” and countering that Russian prisoners held in Ukraine have also faced torture, degradation and physical abuse. U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Claudia Fuentes Julio said monitoring by the U.N. human rights office indicates that torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs and civilian detainees by Russian authorities remains “widespread and systematic.” More than 95% of interviewed Ukrainian POWs reported torture or ill-treatment, while over half reported sexual violence. The U.N. has also documented abuse of Russian and third-country POWs held by Ukraine, but said it occurred on a “fundamentally different scale.”