Ukrainian POWs reportedly transferred from Makiivka penal colony in occupied Donetsk Oblast to Russia

All prisoners serving sentences in penal colony No. 32 in the city of Makiivka, in temporarily occupied Donetsk Oblast, are to be transferred to prisons in Russia, with Ukrainian citizens being moved first.

Source: a local media outlet Novyny Donbasu

Details: The first six prisoners – one civilian and five Ukrainian service members sentenced by the Russian-appointed occupation authorities to 10-17 years on serious charges including extremism, terrorism and espionage – were transferred in August.

A further 24 Ukrainian civilians, who were unlawfully sentenced to lengthy prison terms on similar charges, are now being prepared for transfer.

In total, Novyny Donbasu reported that more than 30 Ukrainian prisoners are to be transferred to Russia. Many of them have been held by the occupation authorities since 2017-2019.

Some of those being transferred require constant medical supervision.

Some prisoners could have been released within just one or two years, but their transfer to Russia could delay the process.

The greatest concern for those being transferred and their relatives is the uncertainty, as prisoners are not told where they are being sent.

Of the six people already transferred, only one has managed to make contact. He said he is currently being held in a pre-trial detention centre in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk and that this was not his final destination. The whereabouts of the other detainees remain unknown.

The official reason given for moving prisoners out of Makiivka penal colony is the inability to provide adequate detention conditions, including water supplies and coal for heating.

Novyny Donbasu suggested there may also be an economic motive, noting that the number of penal colonies in Russia is declining as some inmates are sent to fight in the war and never return.

As a result, prison staff are being left without work. Novyny Donbasu suggested that transferring prisoners from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia could be intended to prevent some Russian penal colonies from closing.

Novyny Donbasu also reported that after the prisoner exchange on 14 August 2025, more than 35 Ukrainian citizens, including five service members, are still being held in Makiivka penal colony No. 32.

Their relatives fear that those transferred to Russia could be placed in prisons operating under a "special regime", meaning conditions there are even harsher than those in high-security facilities.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it has not had unrestricted access to Ukrainian POWs in Russia and temporarily occupied territories for two years.

As of February 2025, more than 180 penal colonies in Russia were reported to be holding Ukrainian citizens. However, ICRC representatives can access only some of them.

Novyny Donbasu also reported that Russian authorities allow the international organisation to see only prisoners who are in relatively good condition, while those who are ill or severely weakened are kept from view.

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