Russian forces are alleged to have executed another Ukrainian prisoner of war, as reported by Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. A video circulating on social media shows a man tied to a motorcycle and dragged along the road, which Lubinets described as a clear act of demonstrative cruelty and yet another war crime by the Russian Federation. Lubinets has sent official letters to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the suspected war crime, calling for Russia to be held accountable for every crime.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) has documented over 150 cases of Ukrainian soldiers being executed after surrendering to Russian forces, indicating that these incidents are not isolated but part of a broader, deliberate policy. Multiple intelligence reports suggest that Russian soldiers have received explicit orders to kill prisoners of war. The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine confirmed growing numbers of incidents where Russian forces killed or maimed surrendering Ukrainian troops, citing testimony from Russian deserters who said they were instructed not to take prisoners but to shoot them on sight.
The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported a sharp increase in POW executions, documenting 79 killings across 24 incidents since August 2024. In many cases, the victims were unarmed or wounded, and some were killed in groups. These allegations continue to fuel international condemnation and calls for accountability, as the situation remains dire for Ukrainian POWs and their families. The ongoing conflict demonstrates the severity of the humanitarian crisis and the need for increased global action to address the war crimes being committed.