Ukrainian intel confirms over 100 Ukrainian POWs executed by Russia
Illustrative photo: The State Security Service recorded over a hundred cases of executions of captured Ukrainian defenders (Getty Images)
The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has reported more than 150 documented cases of executions of Ukrainian servicemen who were captured by Russian forces, according to their Telegram channel.
According to HUR, the number of such crimes on the battlefield is increasing, and in many cases, there is evidence of direct orders to shoot prisoners.
These actions are not isolated incidents, but rather indicate a deliberate policy by the leadership of the aggressor state — Russia.
The trend has been confirmed by the report of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, published on March 19, 2025.
The report documents systematic cases in which Russian forces deliberately killed or maimed Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered or were attempting to surrender.
"Several Russian deserters confirmed they had received orders not to take prisoners but to kill them. One of them cited the words of a deputy brigade commander: "We don’t need prisoners — shoot them on the spot," the document states.
The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, told CNN that Russia's top military leadership bears responsibility for such crimes.
"They (executions - ed.) would not happen with such numbers and frequency without orders – or at the very least consent – from the highest military commanders, which in Russia means the Presidency," he emphasized.
Russia’s war crimes against Ukraine
Throughout the full-scale invasion, Russia has systematically violated international humanitarian law, committing numerous war crimes. The invading forces have regularly targeted civilian infrastructure — residential buildings, hospitals, schools — as well as critical energy facilities.
According to media reports, intercepted radio communications and recordings match the timing of drone footage taken in the Zaporizhzhia region last November. The video shows six soldiers lying face down, with at least two of them shot at point-blank range and one being taken away.
CNN reports that both the radio communications and video recordings confirm other cases in which Russian troops allegedly executed Ukrainian servicemen attempting to surrender.
