Maria Zakharova
© Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian FederationMaria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a briefing in Moscow
Lack of response from the Council of Europe, the EU and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to the abuse of Russian prisoners of war carried out by the Ukrainian military is criminal, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"They are keeping quiet. There is no response to these war crimes and gross violations of international humanitarian law. Their eyes are blurred by Russophobia," Zakharova noted.

She added that in Strasbourg, no one raises the question of excluding Ukraine from the Council of Europe, "although there are plenty of reasons for this." "ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci takes out all his anger only on Russia. Moral guidelines and political honesty have been lost. What should we talk about with these institutions? Such silence is complicity in the atrocities committed. It is also a crime," the statement reads.

On Monday, videos emerged on the Internet purportedly showing Ukrainian radical nationalists torturing captive Russian troops. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that those involved in the torture of Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine must be held accountable for their actions.