The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has issued a distressing report detailing a significant escalation in the summary executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian forces. Since the end of August, the mission has documented 79 executions across 24 distinct incidents, underscoring a troubling pattern of violence against captured Ukrainian soldiers.
Eyewitness accounts and evidence analysis
The report reveals harrowing testimonies from witnesses who recounted instances where Ukrainian soldiers, having surrendered or already in custody, were shot dead on the spot. Reports also include accounts of unarmed and injured soldiers being executed. The mission has meticulously analyzed video and photographic evidence circulated by both Ukrainian and Russian sources, geo-locating these materials alongside detailed witness interviews.
“These incidents did not occur in a vacuum. Public figures in the Russian Federation have explicitly called for inhumane treatment, and even execution, of captured Ukrainian military personnel,” said Danielle Bell, the head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Culture of impunity and dehumanization
In a statement to Euronews, the UN mission emphasized that the documented incidents reflect an environment where human rights violations occur with impunity. This alarming trend is exacerbated by Russian public officials who have openly advocated for the brutal treatment and execution of Ukrainian troops. Such calls have been documented in direct orders or endorsements shared on social media platforms.
The HRMMU also highlighted the pervasive use of dehumanizing language by Russian government officials and state media when referring to Ukrainian POWs. This rhetoric often depicts Ukrainians as subhuman, reinforcing harmful stereotypes, such as the notion of ‘de-Nazifying’ Ukraine. Testimonies from Ukrainian POWs reveal that their captors frequently referred to them using derogatory terms like ‘Nazis’ or ‘fascists’.
Another critical factor in this ongoing crisis is the 2023 legislation that provides legal immunity to Russian military personnel, which has been further extended into 2024. This law permits individuals involved in criminal cases to evade prosecution by enlisting in the military, thereby institutionalizing a culture of accountability evasion.
Disturbingly, Russian forces have been known to document and share their executions of Ukrainian soldiers on social media, a practice that constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law. Recently, a gruesome image circulated online depicts the severed head of a Ukrainian soldier held by an alleged Russian soldier.
Ukrainian authorities are actively pursuing investigations into these violations. The Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, Artur Dobroserdov, has confirmed the preliminary identification of the deceased soldier. The national police have been tasked with reaching out to the soldier’s family, while efforts to document Russian war crimes continue. The Prosecutor General’s Office has also been informed of the incident as part of the ongoing commitment to uphold international humanitarian standards.
As of mid-December 2024, Ukrainian officials reported the execution of 177 captured soldiers, highlighting the pervasive violations of the Geneva Conventions by Russian forces.