Ukraine investigates execution of 54 Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian soldiers

Yuriy Bielousov, head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in Conditions of Armed Conflict, announced this on the United News telethon.

According to him, the first instances of Ukrainian prisoners of war being executed by Russian troops were documented starting from March 2022. Currently, one Russian soldier has been convicted for the killing of a captured defender in the Chernihiv region. Bielousov noted that prosecutors and investigators typically lack access to the crime scene or the opportunity to examine the bodies, significantly complicating the investigation process.

"But this work is ongoing. Ukraine has a unique experience of documenting crimes without even having access to the territory... We are working with the International Criminal Court, the UN Monitoring Mission, intelligence agencies and non-governmental organizations that are also collecting information. Our task now is to document, record, tell the world the truth. The criminals will be brought to justice, it's only a matter of time," he emphasized.

Bielousov also commented on the video from April 7, which shows Russian troops shooting three captured Ukrainian soldiers. He confirmed that the crime took place near Krynky, Kherson region. Details are currently being checked.

"According to this fact and the previous ones, we are also working out the command responsible for such actions. It is not only about the commanders of units, but also about the highest military and political leadership. Because this is not an isolated case, but evidence of the policy of the Russian Federation," he pointed out.

On April 7, a video appeared online showing Russian soldiers shooting three captured Ukrainian servicemen. The National Police started an investigation.

Earlier, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission recorded 12 cases of executions of at least 32 Ukrainian POWs between December 2023 and the end of February 2024, according to the 38th report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The report also describes the conditions of detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. In particular, the authors of the report interviewed 60 Ukrainian servicemen recently released from captivity. The data obtained during these interviews confirm that the Russian army continues to use torture and ill-treatment against Ukrainian prisoners of war. The mission received testimonies of deaths in captivity, torture, horrible conditions of detention, etc.