Russians shot 5 Ukrainian prisoners, ombudsman says
Ukraine’s Parliamentary Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said that Russian soldiers have executed five Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The execution of Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces is reported as systemic, violating international law. Despite evidences, the Kremlin denies these war crimes. In total, Ukraine has launched nearly 170,000 investigations into war crimes and national security violations since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after General-Khorunzhyi Mark Bezruchko has released video footage showing what appears to be the shooting of soldiers who had surrendered.
The location and timing of the incident remain unspecified.
“Russian war criminals who shoot Ukrainian prisoners of war must face an international tribunal and receive the most severe punishment provided by law,” Lubinets said.
The commissioner plans to address the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding these incidents.
According to the commissioner, 2024 has seen nearly twice as many cases of Russians shooting Ukrainian fighters compared to the previous two years of war combined. Accordign to Lubinets, Russian forces killed 109 Ukrainian prisoners of war in 2024 alone.
This figure represents a significant escalation compared to previous years of the full-scale war. Prior to 2024, Ukrainian authorities had documented 177 total cases of such executions.
On 20 November, Russian forces allegedly shot five Ukrainian prisoners in the Pokrovsk direction. Another case emerged on 11 November, when at least two unarmed Ukrainian POWs were reportedly shot in Kursk region.
“The killing of Ukrainian prisoners is Russia’s deliberate policy,” Lubinets said. He added that the exact number of such crimes cannot be determined at present.
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