The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that since the end of August 2024, it has documented 79 cases of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war across 24 separate incidents.
According to the mission,
"Many Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered or were in physical custody of the Russian armed forces were shot dead on the spot."
Witnesses also described the killing of wounded and unarmed Ukrainian fighters.
The mission analyzed video and photographic materials from both Ukrainian and Russian sources that confirmed these executions, as well as conducted detailed interviews with witnesses.
Mission head Danielle Bell noted that geolocation and the chronology of events indicate that the executions took place in areas where Russia was conducting offensive operations.
"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. Combined with broad amnesty laws, such statements have the potential to incite or encourage unlawful behaviour," she said.
For 2024, the mission documented at least three such statements from Russian officials, as well as numerous social media posts by military groups associated with the Russian army, openly supporting or ordering executions.
“All allegations of execution of captured Ukrainian military personnel and public statements calling for, or condoning, such actions must be investigated,” said Bell. “Military commanders and superiors should also provide clear and unequivocal orders to protect and treat humanely all captured military personnel and persons hors de combat.”
The UN reminded that international humanitarian law prohibits punishing or threatening the destruction of all enemies without exception.
As of December 18, 2024, 177 executions of Ukrainian soldiers had been confirmed, with the majority occurring in 2024. On January 6, 2025, Russian forces executed infantry prisoners in the Volnovakha region.
