Russia is executing more and more Ukrainian prisoners of war

Ukrainian sniper Oleksandr Matsievsky was captured by the Russians in the first year of the full-scale invasion. A video later emerged showing him smoking his last cigarette in a forest, apparently next to a grave he had to dig.

“Glory to Ukraine!” he says to his captors. Moments later shots are fired and he falls dead.

His execution is one of many.

Nine captured Ukrainian soldiers were reportedly shot dead by Russian forces in the Kursk region in October this year. Ukrainian prosecutors are investigate the case including a photo of half-naked bodies lying on the ground. This photo was enough for one of the victims, drone operator Ruslan Holubenko, to be identified by his parents.

“I recognized him by his underwear” said his desperate mother Local station Suspilne Chernihiv. “I bought it for him before a trip to the sea. I also knew that his shoulder was shot through. You could see that in the picture.”

The list of executions goes on. The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office is investigating Reports from Beheadings And a sword A Ukrainian soldier was killed with his hands tied behind his back.

In another case, a video showed 16 Ukrainian soldiers apparently lined up and then mowed down with automatic gunfire after they emerged from a forest to surrender.

Some of the executions were filmed by Russian forces themselves, while others were observed by Ukrainian drones hovering overhead.

The killings captured on such videos tend to occur in forests or fields that lack distinctive features, making it difficult to determine their exact location. However, BBC Verify was able to confirm in several cases: such as a beheading – that the victims are wearing Ukrainian uniforms and that the videos are current.

Ukrainian prosecutors say at least 147 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been executed by Russian forces since the full-scale invasion began, 127 of them this year.

“The upward trend is very clear, very obvious,” said Yuri Belousov, head of the war department of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office.

“Systematic executions have occurred since November last year and have continued throughout the year. “Unfortunately, there has been a particular increase in numbers this summer and autumn. There are clear signs that they are part of a policy – ​​there is evidence that instructions are being given.”

In particular international humanitarian law the Third Geneva Convention – provides protection to prisoners of war and their execution is a war crime.

Nevertheless, Ramzan Kadyrov, the strong man in Russian Chechnya, was briefly in office ordered his commanders was involved in the Ukraine war, “not to take prisoners”.

Rachel Denber, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division, says there is no shortage of evidence to support the claim that Ukrainian prisoners of war were executed by Russian troops. In their opinion, impunity plays a key role and the Russian army has some serious questions to answer.

“What instructions do these units have, whether formal or informal, from their commanders? Are their commanders making it very clear what the Geneva Conventions say about the treatment of prisoners of war? What do Russian military commanders tell their units about their behavior? What steps.” Is the chain of command taking action to investigate these incidents? And if supervisors don’t investigate or take action to prevent this behavior, do they realize that they too are criminally liable and can be held accountable?” she asks.

So far, there is no evidence that Russia is officially investigating claims that its forces executed Ukrainian prisoners of war. Even mentioning similar allegations is not possible is punished with long prison sentences in Russia.

According to Vladimir PutinRussian forces have “always” treated Ukrainian prisoners of war “strictly in accordance with international legal documents and international conventions.”

Ukrainian Armed Forces were also accused the execution of Russian prisoners of war, but the number of such claims was much smaller.

Yuri Beloussov says that the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office takes such allegations “very seriously” and is investigating them – but so far no one has been charged.

According to Human Rights WatchSince the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Russian forces have committed “a litany of violations, including those that should be investigated as war crimes or crimes against humanity.”

The Russian army’s abuses are causing some Ukrainian soldiers to prefer death to capture.

“He told me: Mom, I will never give up, never. Forgive me, I know you will cry, but I don’t want to be tortured,” says Ruslan Holubenko’s mother. Her son is still officially missing, and she hopes despite all hope.

“I will do everything possible and impossible to get my child back. I keep looking at this photo. Maybe he’s just unconscious? I want to believe, I don’t want to believe, that he’s gone.”