Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he was unaware of cases involving missing journalists and activists, or reports of arrested officials in Russian-held Ukrainian territories, CNN reported. 

After the news agency reported on missing Ukrainians, Peskov spoke to CNN saying “It is very important to consider each specific case, each name and surname”, and added, “Nobody contacted us [about it] and we do not have such information”. 

The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has also noted that dozens of individuals are being detained arbitrarily and subjected to forceful disappearances.  

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Some of those detained have since been released, as per HRMMU. A spokesperson said, “Information regarding the number of released individuals is pending verification. HRMMU has received many complaints about missing civilian persons, which are also pending corroboration”, adding, “There are grounds to believe that some of them may have also been detained, and possibly subjected to enforced disappearance”, CNN reported. 

The agency also said families are denied information, often, about the fate of those who are held. Some are too scared to speak about their relatives or loved ones disappearing, fearing a backlash against themselves or their families. 

In Ukraine’s Melitopol, the previous mayor was reportedly abducted and a new mayor was installed, who went on to allow Russian television channels to air. 

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Reports of other instances of violence against civilians have also surfaced. The Times reported a woman’s account who said Russians shot her husband and proceeded to rape her, while her son was in the boiler room, crying. 

Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova also said in a statement that Kyiv prosecutors identified a Russian serviceman who killed an unarmed man and repeatedly raped his wife. Venediktova said, investigating the woman’s claims, “This villain broke into a private house and shot the owner. After that, the drunken occupier and his colleague repeatedly raped the wife of the killed civilian, threatening her with violence and weapons. He even threatened her young child, who was with the victim”. 

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There have been several reports of rape since the Russian invasion began on February 24. The country also stands accused of war crimes for targeting civilians.