The United Nations has expressed alarm over a significant increase in reported executions of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian armed forces. A recent report found that 79 executions took place in 24 separate incidents since August 2024. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented the executions, which involved shooting prisoners of war on the spot.
According to the mission, many Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered or were in physical custody of Russian forces were killed without mercy. Footage and photographs obtained by the mission show the dead bodies, while witness interviews and geolocation data linked the incidents to areas where Russian forces operated.
The UN report highlights a broader issue, as Russia and Ukraine have traded accusations of committing war crimes since 2022. The head of the UN mission warned that public statements in Russia had previously called for “inhumane treatment” and even execution of Ukrainian soldiers, which can incite or encourage unlawful behavior.
The report emphasizes that under international humanitarian law, calls for “no survivors” after the war are prohibited. Investigations into alleged executions of captured Ukrainian personnel and related public statements have been launched.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case against Russia last month after footage emerged of Russian soldiers executing six Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk. The incident is classified as a grave international crime under the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/3/russia-accelerating-executions-of-ukrainian-pows-un