KYIV: Ukraine has accused Russian forces of executing hundreds of captured Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, alleging the killings reflect a deliberate policy, while Russia has rejected the accusations.
The allegations come as Ukrainian authorities continue investigating suspected executions of surrendered soldiers, with officials saying the actual number of victims is likely far higher than documented cases.
One of those cases is that of 25-year-old Ukrainian soldier Andriy Dubnytsky, who was killed in February 2024 during Ukraine’s withdrawal from the eastern city of Avdiivka.
According to his wife, Lyudmyla Dubnytska, her husband told her in a final phone call that he and several fellow soldiers were likely to be captured after being wounded and cut off from their unit. Two days later, she recognised his body in a video circulating on Russian social media.
Ukraine’s 110th Brigade said Dubnytsky and several comrades were killed after Russian forces allegedly violated an agreement to evacuate the wounded. Ukrainian prosecutors subsequently opened an investigation into the alleged execution of unarmed prisoners of war.
Investigations Underway
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office says it has launched 116 criminal investigations into the deaths of 306 Ukrainian servicemen since 2022.
Andriy Atamantchuk, an official overseeing POW execution cases, told AFP the killings appeared to reflect a broader Russian policy that encouraged such crimes.
A Ukrainian intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence services had recorded more than 900 Ukrainian military personnel killed in over 340 separate incidents since the war began, although prosecutors said only fully documented cases are included in official investigations.
UN Reports Rise in Executions
A United Nations report published last month documented 129 verified executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war and warned of a marked increase in such incidents.
Under the Geneva Conventions, combatants who clearly surrender are entitled to prisoner-of-war protections and must not be deliberately killed.
Ukraine says most executions involved soldiers being shot after surrendering, while investigators have also reported particularly brutal cases, including alleged beheadings, images of which have circulated on social media.
Russia Rejects Allegations
Russian authorities did not respond to AFP’s request for comment. Moscow has consistently denied committing war crimes in Ukraine and has accused Kyiv of violating international humanitarian law.
According to Ukrainian prosecutors, only five Russian soldiers have so far been convicted in connection with alleged POW executions, including two sentenced in absentia.
Officials say investigations remain difficult because many suspected crimes occurred in active combat zones now under Russian control.
For the families of victims, however, accountability remains uncertain.
“I don’t know how that would give me any relief, even if I knew one day who did it,” Lyudmyla Dubnytska said of the person responsible for killing her husband.
