At least 337 Ukrainian POWs 'brutally' executed by Russia, Ukraine's ombudsman says
Russia has "deliberately and brutally" executed at least 337 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) as of the end of 2025, Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, said on March 3 during a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The mistreatment of prisoners of war constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
"Russia has turned torture into state policy and uses it as a weapon," Lubinets said in a post on Telegram.
Lubinets added that, according to U.N. data, 95% of Ukrainian POWs are systematically tortured in captivity.
Lubinets called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia, ensure that every crime is fully documented, and bring those responsible to justice.
"This issue is critically important — the world cannot stand aside," he said.
As of February 2026, Russia is holding approximately 7,000 Ukrainians captive, including civilians — a violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
More than 4,000 Ukrainians held captive by Russia are military personnel. Ukraine, in turn, holds around 4,000 Russian prisoners of war and has reiterated its readiness to carry out an exchange on an "all-for-all" format, according to Zelensky.
Returning civilians from Russian territory remains even more difficult than securing the release of military personnel.
In 2025, Ukraine conducted 10 prisoner exchanges, bringing home 2,080 service members but only 230 civilians, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Jan. 20.
The most recent prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place on Feb. 5, 2026, with 157 Ukrainian service members and civilians returning home.
