Russia is stealing and selling the organs of dead prisoners, according to the wife of a Ukrainian prisoner of war.
According to sinister new revelations, several bodies of dead soldiers returned to Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces are missing vital organs.
Larysa Salaeva, wife of a prisoner of war and head of the Freedom for Defenders of Mariupol action group, said: “It is known that during body exchanges we receive the bodies of tortured prisoners.”
“We receive not only tortured bodies, but unfortunately also bodies without organs,” she continued.
During a meeting in Ankara between representatives of the families of prisoners of war and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, Salaeva said that she believes this confirms the existence of an active black market for organ transplants in the Russian Federation.
“And unfortunately, it’s the same with our prisoners of war,” she added.
Larysa Salaeva, the wife of a prisoner of war and leader of the campaign group Freedom to Defenders of Mariupol, accused Russia of stealing and selling the organs of dead prisoners
Pictured: Bodies of Ukrainian prisoners of war on their way back from Russia
It is estimated that more than 10,000 prisoners of war are being held by Russia, and not all of them are military personnel. Pictured: Ukrainian prisoners of war after their release from captivity in Russia
“That’s why I believe this should be made known to the whole world so that this crime can be stopped.”
Salaeva appealed to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to express his support for the establishment of a medical commission that would monitor the health of both Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war.
Salaeva called on Turkey to act as a mediator in resolving humanitarian issues related to the return of prisoners of war.
“I would also like to ask Turkey, as a patron country in resolving all humanitarian issues related to the exchange of prisoners of war, to speak out,” she said.
The mother of a soldier told of the terrible state the troops find themselves in when they return to Ukraine after a prisoner of war exchange.
“We see the health status that our boys are coming back in,” she said.
‘It’s indescribable: they are thin, they need medical attention.
‘Every time their health deteriorates in captivity. This is the third year now.’
It is estimated that more than 10,000 prisoners of war are being held in Russia, and not all of them are military personnel.
Salaeva claims that Russia is ignoring the Geneva Conventions and humanitarian law.
“We want international agreements to be implemented. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the civilian population, which is a violation of international law,” another Ukrainian source said.
Bodnar added: “This is a real pain that motivates us to work faster and encourage our international partners to take certain actions.
“One of the most important demands is the establishment of an international medical commission that will investigate the conditions of our prisoners of war and help them combat health problems. That is one of the messages that has been conveyed to the Turkish side.”
Salaeva claimed that the bodies of Ukrainian prisoners of war were returned tortured and without their vital organs
The last known exchange of bodies took place in June, when 254 fallen defenders were repatriated to Ukraine.
According to the Geneva Conventions, corpses and prisoners of war may not be exchanged until after the war.
But during the war between Russia and Ukraine, exchanges between the two sides only really got underway after the first six months of the conflict.
The last time bodies were exchanged was in June, when 254 fallen defenders were repatriated to Ukraine.
Russian sources deny reports of missing organs and accuse Ukraine of trying to “demonize” Putin’s forces.
“The fake is an attempt to stir up a new wave of hatred towards Russia among Ukrainian citizens, hoping to re-motivate volunteers and raise the morale of Ukraine’s armed forces.”
It comes just as there is talk of peace negotiations to end the war, reports the Telegram channel War Against Fakes.
The case follows chilling video footage that emerged two weeks ago showing the brutal execution of two Ukrainian prisoners of war by Putin’s forces.
Two surrendering prisoners of war huddled in a trench before being killed by a nine-shot hail of bullets fired by Russian soldiers near Robotyne in Ukraine’s Zaphorizhizhia region.
The cold-blooded murders were thought to have taken place last month, but the footage only recently emerged.
“The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and may be considered a serious international crime,” said a Ukrainian report based on the shocking footage.
The Zaporizhzhya Prosecutor’s Office in Ukraine has opened a criminal investigation into violations of the rules of war and premeditated murder by invading Russian troops.
Ukraine has previously claimed that Russian forces were ordered by their commanders to massacre captured Ukrainian troops.
In March, General Dmytro Usov, head of the Ukrainian coordination center that oversees the “body corridor” – where Russia and Ukraine meet to exchange bodies, said The Telegraph that a total of 2,495 bodies had been returned through the exchange.