Russians ‘tortured Ukrainian detainees to death’ freed medic tells panel

Ukrainian medic Yuliia Paievska, known to Ukrainians by the nickname Taira, speaks during an appearance before US politicians on the Helsinki Commission (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)

A volunteer medic captured by Russian forces during their siege of Mariupol in Ukraine has told US politicians Russians routinely tortured her and others – killing many detainees.

In her most detailed public account of her months in captivity, Ukrainian Yuliia Paievska, detained in March and held by Russian and pro-Russian forces for three months, spoke to politicians with the Helsinki Commission, a government agency created in part to promote compliance with human rights internationally.