BBC identifies three men suspected of torturing Ukrainian prisoners in secret wartime jails. All three now live openly in Russia.

The BBC has published a report on three former staff members of illegal prisons in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, where Ukrainians have been unlawfully held and tortured since 2014. Here is what is known about each of them.

Yuriy Temerbek, 56, was a traffic police officer in Novoazovsk, in the Donetsk region. After separatists of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) seized the city in 2014, he switched sides.

Lyudmila Khuseinova, 64, a former prisoner at “Izolyatsiya,” told journalists she had encountered Temerbek at the illegal prison. She said he had witnessed sexual violence inflicted on her by another prison staff member — a man who spoke with a Russian pronunciation. Inside the prison, that man was known as Koval; journalists were unable to establish his identity.

Khuseinova said she remembered Temerbek’s first and last name because she had seen them on documents. Other residents of the Donetsk region also recognized him from his time in the Ukrainian police.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Temerbek of working for the Ministry of State Security of the DPR and a criminal case has been opened against him for taking part in a terrorist organization.

The BBC and other journalists found that Temerbek now lives with his family — a wife, an adult daughter and son, and a grandson — in the Rostov region. His current occupation is unknown.

Ruslan Yeremichev, 46, was known inside “Izolyatsiya” as Yermak. According to Khuseinova, he also participated in the torture of prisoners — on one occasion forcing her to eat raw food mixed with dirt and garbage. His identity was first established by the investigative group Bellingcat and Ukrainian journalist Stanislav Aseyev, who was himself a prisoner at “Izolyatsiya.”

Yeremichev studied law at Donetsk University. Researchers working with the BBC found photos of him on social media — with his wife and daughter, and vacationing in Crimea. Ukrainian prosecutors accuse him of numerous crimes, including mistreatment of prisoners of war and civilians.

Both Temerbek and Yeremichev were Ukrainian citizens before obtaining Russian passports.

Andriy Spivak, 40, is a staff member of Russia’s prison system from Omsk. According to Ukrainian prosecutors, he ran a secret prison in Kherson. Ukrainian authorities have charged him in absentia with mistreatment of civilians and violations of the laws of war.

Spivak’s social media indicates he is back in Omsk, participates in Ministry of Internal Affairs events, and enjoys fishing, hunting, and travel. Journalists also found that he has registered his car as a private taxi.

The BBC has identified 93 locations in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory where civilians and prisoners of war were illegally held between 2023 and 2025. About a third of these are believed to operate unofficially, in settings ranging from garages to hotels and former tax offices. Journalists found another 102 such sites on Russian territory. According to Ukrainian prosecutors, two thousand people have passed through these prisons since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.