Ukraine has proposed a sweeping prisoner exchange— all for all— as a key condition for a ceasefire. But while Kyiv pushes for the release of its captured soldiers, Moscow continues to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s ombudsman.
Lubinets has flagged yet another harrowing video circulating on social media, showing Russian troops executing Ukrainian POWs. He has formally appealed to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to ensure the crime is documented. “In 2024 alone, it has been officially confirmed that Russian forces executed 109 Ukrainian prisoners of war. In previous years, the total number of recorded cases stood at 177—so compared to this year, that figure now seems almost modest,” he said.
Lera Bourlakova, spokesperson for Amnesty International Ukraine, underscored the scale of the atrocities. “Last year alone, over 100 executions of POWs were documented— and that’s just the ones the Russians themselves filmed and shared,” she told The Ukrainian Week.
“Last year, we saw senior Russian officials—including Dmitry Medvedev and Ramzan Kadyrov—openly call for executions. These are not isolated atrocities. Executions, torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and the complete isolation of prisoners of war are all part of a systemic and deliberate policy,” said Lera Bourlakova, spokesperson for Amnesty International Ukraine. “These are war crimes. Crimes against humanity. And those responsible—whether top officials or those carrying out the orders—must be held to account.”
She warned that the world cannot turn a blind eye. “War crimes fall under universal jurisdiction. In any negotiations with Russia, accountability for these crimes cannot be brushed aside. Impunity only emboldens further atrocities—just as we saw in Georgia, Chechnya, and Syria. That is how Ukraine has ended up where it is today.”
Last October, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War reported a sharp rise in the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war—such killings they say are not just tolerated but openly encouraged by Russian commanders. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, reinforced these warnings. “These are not random acts of cruelty,” he said. “This is a calculated and systematic policy of the aggressor state.”
The execution of prisoners of war is a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions and a serious war crime. Ukrainian authorities are urging anyone with information on such atrocities to come forward.
