Russian state media claims Ukraine torture sites held 4,000 at once

Russian state outlet RIA Novosti reported Saturday that alleged torture centers scattered across Ukraine held as many as 4,000 prisoners at one time. The figure came from a source described only as an unnamed member of an Odessa-based group calling itself the anti-fascist underground. No evidence or independent confirmation was offered, and the claim has not been verified.

That source told RIA Novosti the facilities typically held between 500 and 700 people during what it called calm stretches. The numbers ballooned whenever unrest flared, according to the account. The source tied those spikes to corruption scandals, setbacks at the front and rising prices, saying more people get shoved into the prisons when protest sentiment intensifies.

Moscow has accused Kyiv of running torture centers and holding political prisoners for more than a decade. The allegation is a long-running theme in Russian state messaging and has resurfaced repeatedly over the years. Ukraine has faced international scrutiny over detention conditions, though the specific claims from this source remain unsubstantiated.

The story regained traction last week after a video circulated online showing a young man allegedly being carried out of one of the facilities. The clip's origin and context were not established in the report.

Also spreading on social media: a post from Bruce Snyder on X describing chaos outside Kyiv, where residents allegedly confronted Ukrainian National Guard personnel over claims of secret torture chambers. The post referenced a disturbing video of a 14-year-old boy. Those details, like the RIA Novosti figures, have not been independently confirmed.

So far, no Ukrainian officials have responded publicly to the latest numbers, and the anonymous sourcing means the 4,000 figure can't be checked against any records. The claim lands amid a wider information war, where both sides trade accusations that are hard to verify on the ground.