Ukraine accuses Russia of executing prisoners of war
Dmytro Lubinets, the representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for human rights, announced that at least 345 Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered to the Russian military have been killed on the battlefield since February 2022. He noted that these are cases recorded on video.
Ukraine has accused Russia of executing prisoners of war.
At a press conference on August 12, the Ukrainian parliament’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, said that at least 345 Ukrainians have been killed after surrendering since Russia began its large-scale war against Ukraine.
According to Lubinets, this figure is based on cases captured on video and documented by the Ukrainian side. He said that these soldiers took all the necessary steps to surrender: they dropped their weapons, raised their hands, lay down on the ground and showed that they were not going to continue fighting. However, Lubinets claimed that Russian soldiers shot them at close range.
The Ukrainian ombudsman stressed that the killing of surrendered soldiers is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. In his opinion, such cases should be legally considered as executions of prisoners of war.
Lubinets also reported that there is information about 375 Ukrainian citizens who died in Ukraine after being certified as prisoners of war by the International Committee of the Red Cross. He explained that this number includes not only military personnel, but also civilians. According to the Ombudsman’s claim, the bodies of these 375 people were later transferred to Ukraine by Russia.
Lubinets also claimed that many types of torture were used against Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia. According to him, the Ukrainian side has information about the use of almost all types of torture methods listed in the UN international standard for documenting torture - the Istanbul Protocol. In particular, he listed cases such as beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, psychological pressure, intimidation using dogs, and staged executions.
Lubinets reported that 695 different forms of torture were recorded against Ukrainian prisoners of war and detained civilians, as well as 860 cases of substandard conditions of detention. The Ukrainian Ombudsman claimed that 95 percent of Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russian prisons were subjected to systematic torture.
The figures and allegations presented in the text are based on statements by Dmitry Lubinets.