The court convicted the soldiers on terrorism charges, accusing them of "opening fire to kill both Russian servicemen and civilians." Russia often uses trumped-up charges to jail captured Ukrainian soldiers, activists, journalists, and regular civilians for lengthy terms.
The Hungarian side "did not discuss anything" with Ukraine and "did not warn about its contacts with Moscow," said Dmytro Lytvyn, the presidential communications adviser, referring to Viktor Orban’s recent phone call with Vladimir Putin.
Key developments on Dec. 11: * Russia continues to suffer record losses in December, Zelensky says * Ukraine has arms to resist at least until mid-2025 if US cuts aid, finance minister says * Russian proxies sentence 9 Azovstal defenders to 24 years, life in prison * Russia may launch new Oreshnik missile against
"In 2024 alone, we can confirm that Russian troops shot 109 Ukrainian prisoners of war," Lubinets said. Reports of murders, torture, and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war are received regularly by Ukrainian authorities.
"Ukraine is not delaying and did not delay the exchanges, but on the contrary, declared its readiness to repatriate seriously injured and seriously ill prisoners by creating a mixed medical commission," Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.
Four unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were apparently shot and killed by Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast earlier this November, adding to the five previously reported executions of Ukrainian soldiers, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Nov. 28.
Key developments on Nov. 26: * Russia launches record 188 drones against Ukraine overnight, Air Force says * Russian Defense Ministry admits that Ukraine hit airbase in Kursk Oblast with ATACMS * Russia's advance in Ukraine fastest since early 2022, analysts claim * Russian soldiers suspected of executing 5 Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk * UK
Russian forces apparently shot five unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in Donetsk Oblast earlier this November, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Nov. 26, launching a war crime investigation.
Ukraine’s Third Assault Brigade said it had cleared out the Kopanky village in Kharkiv Oblast, taking seven prisoners of war from Russia’s First Tank Army, its Telegram channel reported on Nov. 25.
The Security Service of Ukraine has launched an investigation into the killing of Ukrainian soldiers near Vuhledar, from which Ukrainian forces withdrew on Oct. 2.
Key developments on Nov. 21: * Russia used new 'Oreshnik' intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine, Putin says * Ukrainian UAVs reportedly strike Russian border regions, industrial facility hit * Hungary deploys air defenses near Ukraine, cites war escalation after US allows strikes in Russia * Russian troops suspected of executing Ukrainian POWs in Kursk
Russian forces are suspected of summarily executing Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported on Nov. 20.
They were stripped naked and shot dead, according to the prosecutors. In a picture published by the prosecutors, two blurred naked bodies are seen lying on the ground.
Reports of murders, torture, and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war are received regularly by Ukrainian authorities and have spiked in recent months. Most cases were recorded in embattled Donetsk Oblast.
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets met with his Russian counterpart, Tatyana Moskalkova, in Belarus on Nov. 8 to discuss humanitarian issues related to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
As the world waited with bated breath for the result of the U.S. elections, Russia's war against Ukraine did not relent. Donald Trump's sweeping victory no doubt spells an uncertain future for the besieged country. But Russia's grinding advances in Donbas, drone attacks, and yet more allegations of war
Key developments on Nov. 6: * Ukraine hits Russian naval base in Dagestan for first time, source says * 'I’m going to stop the wars' — Trump says, as he claims victory * Kursk incursion thwarted Russia's plans for 'buffer zone' in Sumy Oblast, Syrskyi says * Russia has executed at least 124 Ukrainian
Denys Lysenko, head of the department focused on war-related crimes, said that 49 criminal investigations were underway regarding the execution of Ukrainian POWs.
After the first drone strike against Russia's North Caucasus republic that targeted the Russian Special Forces University of Vladimir Putin in the Chechen city of Gudermes on Oct. 29, Kadyrov said he ordered all of his commanders fighting against Ukraine "not to take prisoners and destroy" Ukrainian soldiers as retribution.
There have been multiple reports of the executions of Ukrainian POWs by Russian soldiers during the full-scale invasion, but they have increased dramatically over the last year.
Warning: This article contains graphic photos and descriptions of graphic scenes. A decomposed human hand with the remains of flesh, bleak and brown save for one splash of color — two thin blue-yellow rubber bracelets. The colors of the Ukrainian national flag. The hand was from a body of the hundreds
Russian soldiers executed two captured Ukrainian soldiers near Selydove in Donetsk Oblast, the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office reported on Oct.21.
According to Dmytro Lubinets, the actual number of such cases is likely much higher since it is difficult to document Russian war crimes without supporting evidence such as videos of the executions.
Key developments on Oct. 13: * Ukraine is holding front line in Kursk Oblast despite Russian attacks, Zelensky says * Prosecutors open investigation into alleged killing of 9 POWs by Russians in Kursk Oblast * Russia's illegal use of Starlink terminals hastened fall of Vuhledar, WP reports * Zelensky: Russia has used around 900
"The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and an international crime. A criminal case has been opened over the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder," Kostin posted on X.
Yurii Belousov, the head of the department focused on war-related crimes, explained that 80% of these cases were recorded in 2024, but the trend appeared already late last year.
Most Ukrainian soldiers who were released had never been visited by the Red Cross representatives while in Russian captivity, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said in July.
In this exclusive interview, the Kyiv Independent interviews Somali and Sierra Leonean prisoners of war who fought for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Key developments on Sept. 17: * Around 1 million killed, wounded in Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, WSJ reports * Ukraine destroys Russian ammunition depots near occupied Mariupol, Navy says * None of Ukraine's plans to end the war envisages ceasefire, ceding territory, Podolyak says * Russia reportedly executes POW with sword, Kyiv appeals
On the morning of Sept. 17, a photo of an allegedly executed Ukrainian soldier with a sword in his chest and the inscription "For Kursk" appeared on social media. Remnants of gray tape are visible on the soldier's hand.
Chechen commander Apti Alaudinov on Sept. 15 said that fighters who willingly surrendered to Ukrainian forces do not deserve to live and should "do everything they can to get themselves killed."
"The vast majority of those released are people who had been held (in captivity) since the first days of the war,” said Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets in a statement.
