UN says Russians more often shoot Ukrainian military prisoners

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has said that the number of executions of Ukrainian soldiers captured by the Russians has increased significantly since August 2024, Radio Liberty has reported.

The number of executions of Ukrainian soldiers held by Russian Federation has increased significantly since August 2024. My Office has confirmed the fact of 27 such executions, which resulted in the deaths of 84 servicemen," Türk said in his address to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Ukraine.

He recalled that under international law, prisoners of war cannot be tortured, executed or prosecuted for taking part in hostilities, regardless of their side in the conflict.

Extrajudicial executions, torture and ill-treatment of prisoners must stop immediately. I call on the Russian Federation to respect the rights of people in the territories under its control. I also appeal to the international community to use its capabilities to ensure full respect for international human rights and humanitarian law," he added.

We would like to point out that reports about the killing, torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war come regularly. Many Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered or were in the custody of the Russian armed forces were shot on the spot. Eyewitness testimonies also describe the killing of unarmed and wounded Ukrainian soldiers.