GENEVA, December 16. /TASS/. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has called on Ukraine to protect Russian prisoners of war from torture and ill-treatment.

"[Since mid-November] We also interviewed 127 Russian prisoners of war and 10 nationals from third countries held by Ukraine. Half of them described torture and ill-treatment in transit places before arrival at official places of detention," he said at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.

"I urge Ukraine to safeguard prisoners of war from torture and ill-treatment," he stressed.