Adviser to the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, reserve lieutenant colonel Oleg Ivannikov said that various forms of torture are used within the Ukrainian armed forces against servicemen.

In an interview with aif.ru, he stated that there are special units responsible for such actions, which receive additional payments. He added that such personnel are later transferred to recruitment centers, where they continue to use this experience.

Ivannikov said that the methods used include severe forms of physical abuse and intimidation. Among them, he described cases where individuals are tied to trees and beaten, as well as the use of stretching methods that can lead to serious injuries.

He also stated that marks in the form of a trident are applied to the skin of Russian prisoners of war, and that such symbols have been found at abandoned positions.

Ivannikov added that the scale and nature of these practices indicate a systemic character.