Russia has been accused of fuelling an internal black market for organ transplantation as bodies of Ukrainian prisoners of war have reportedly been returned to their families without internal organs.

The extraordinary claim was made during a meeting between representatives of the families of Ukrainian POWs and the Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar.

The wife of one of the POWs defenders of the Mariupol garrison alleged, as reported by Ukrainian national news agency Ukrinform: “Today it is already known for sure that we receive the bodies of tortured prisoners of war (during the exchange of bodies).

“We receive not only tortured bodies, but bodies that, unfortunately, are without organs.

“This confirms the fact that the black market for organ transplantation in the Russian Federation is working. And, unfortunately, it is working with our prisoners of war. “Therefore, I believe that this must be said to the whole world in order to stop this crime.”

During the meeting in Ankara, the woman asked Turkey to “speak out” on the issue as the “patron country in resolving all humanitarian issues related to the exchange of POWs”.

Some 3,000 Ukrainian POWs have been released so far by Russia since the beginning of the unlawful invasion of the eastern European country in February 2022.

Around 10,000 still remain in Russian custody, some of whom have endured conditions described as horrific by a United Nations expert.

UN investigators claimed in March to have uncovered new evidence of systematic and widespread torture of Ukrainian prisoners held by Russian security forces.

Separately, Ukraine‘s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs said at that least one-third of the men and women returned to their homeland suffered “injuries, severe illnesses, and disabilities”.

Following the meeting in Ankara, Mr Bodnar told his country’s news agency: “This is a real pain that motivates us to work faster and stimulate our international partners to take certain actions.”

Detailing a plan of action, he added: “One of the main demands is to create an international medical commission that would investigate the conditions of our prisoners of war and help them fight health problems… And this is one of the messages that was conveyed to the Turkish side.”