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Human Rights Watch has reported that Russian soldiers may have executed at least 15 Ukrainian soldiers attempting to surrender and another six who were in the process of surrendering or had already surrendered since December of the previous year. According to the NGO, these actions warrant war crimes investigations.
Many instances of Russian troops capturing and executing Ukrainian soldiers have been documented and shared across the internet, raising concerns about Russia’s conduct during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“These heinous war crimes committed by Russian forces include the despicable acts of executing injured and surrendering Ukrainian soldiers, a direct violation of international humanitarian law,” stated Belkis Wille, senior director at HRW associated with crisis and conflict situations.
The HRW report specifically identified five group execution incidents by Russian forces. These were investigated using evidence from social media drone footage, media reporting, and witness interviews and occurred in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts on dates including December 2 and 27 of last year, besides February 16, 19, and 25 of 2024.
Recordings and footage have also caught Russian soldiers giving explicit orders to avoid taking any prisoners, with one commanding, “Guys, kill everyone, the second (Ukrainian soldier) is wounded, shoot him from atop, shoot him, take no prisoners.”
This report follows a series of documented executions of Ukrainian soldiers by Russian troops, acknowledged by both international and Ukrainian organizations. The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported in early April that as many as 54 Ukrainian POWs were summarily executed by Russian soldiers. Furthermore, the OHCHR, in March, confirmed at least 32 executed Ukrainian POWs.
Highlighting the brutality of the warfare, over 50 Ukrainian military prisoners were reported killed at a Russian-controlled facility in Olenivka, Donetsk Oblast, in mid-2022. While the Russian side has diverted the blame to a supposed Ukrainian HIMARS attack, scrutiny from the U.N. and Kyiv has contradicted this claim.
FAQs
- What evidence does HRW have of these war crimes?
HRW’s allegations are based on social media drone footage, media reports, and witness interviews that outline several execution incidents. - What is the scale of the reported executions?
The HRW reports at least 21 Ukrainian soldiers have been executed. Additionally, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office and OHCHR have documented dozens of other instances. - Has Russia taken responsibility for the Olenivka incident?
Russia has denied responsibility for the deaths in Olenivka, blaming it on a Ukrainian HIMARS strike. However, this has been contradicted by the reports from the U.N. and Ukrainian authorities.
Conclusion
The string of reported executions of Ukrainian soldiers by Russian troops suggests a serious breach of international humanitarian law. These allegations of war crimes underscore the necessity for comprehensive investigations by the global community. The continuation of independent journalism in Ukraine plays a critical role in documenting these potential violations and ensuring that the truth comes to light amidst the fog of war.