Over 150 Ukrainian POWs executed by Russian forces — Ukrainian intel

The press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate reported the information.

The number of executions on the battlefield is increasing. There are known cases where Russians receive direct orders to kill prisoners.

The intelligence emphasizes that these crimes are not isolated incidents, but a component of a deliberate policy by the Russian leadership.

This trend is confirmed by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. In its report of March 19, 2025, the commission recorded an increase in the number of cases in which Russian soldiers deliberately killed or maimed Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered or were trying to surrender.

"Several Russian deserters confirmed that they had received orders not to take prisoners, but to kill them. One of them quoted the words of the deputy brigade commander: ‘We don't need prisoners - shoot them on the spot,’” the document says.

In particular, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, clearly outlined those responsible for these actions, noting that the executions would not have occurred with such quantity and frequency without an order or consent from the highest military command, which in Russia means the position of the president.

The intelligence emphasizes: there will be fair retribution for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people.

• On May 22, Russian troops shot two Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Pokrovsk direction.