The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has recorded a “alarming rise” in reports related to the executions of Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russian forces in the war in recent months on Monday, the 3rd of February, reports Reuters.
The mission in Ukraine said it had received reports of 79 executions in 24 separate cases since the end of August 2024.
International humanitarian law prohibits the execution of prisoners of war and the wounded and considers it a war crime.
“Many Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered or were in the physical custody of the Russian armed forces were shot on the spot. Witnesses also described the killing of unarmed and wounded Ukrainian soldiers,” the mission said in a statement.
The UN body obtained and analysed video and photo footage of executions or remains published by Ukrainian and Russian sources and conducted detailed interviews with witnesses.
It noted that the reported executions took place in areas where Russian offensive operations are taking place.
The head of the mission, Danielle Bell, said that some Russian officials had “explicitly called for inhuman treatment” of captured Ukrainian soldiers and even executions.
The mission said that it had also documented the execution of a wounded and incapacitated Russian soldier by the Ukrainian armed forces in 2024 but did not provide further details.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office previously stated that it was investigating dozens of cases of executions of Ukrainian military personnel by Russian forces.
UN says Russia is killing more captured Ukrainian soldiers
