Russian commanders encourage executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war – ISW

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) point to an increase in executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war, which are condoned and encouraged by Russian commanders.

Source: ISW

Details: Russian forces recently executed nine Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Kursk Oblast, amidst a wider escalation of such executions by Russian forces across the theatre. 

The Ukrainian analytical project DeepState Map reported on 13 October that Russian forces had executed these nine Ukrainian POWs near the village of Zeleny Shlyakh, Kursk Oblast, on 10 October. 

Ukrainian drone operators unexpectedly encountered Russian forces in what they likely believed to be a rear area, coming under enemy fire. Facing limited ammunition, the drone operators were forced to surrender, after which Russian forces took them as POWs. 

Evidence from the aftermath of the execution suggests that Russian forces disarmed, lined up, stripped and shot the Ukrainian POWs, indicating a premeditated execution. 

On 13 October, Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets condemned the executions as a serious violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of POWs. Lubinets also announced that he had sent letters regarding the case to the United Nations (UN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). 

The Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office similarly announced that it had launched an investigation into the execution reports on the same day. 

Quote: "ISW has recently observed an increase in Russian forces executing Ukrainian POWs throughout the theatre, and Russian commanders are likely writ large condoning, encouraging, or directly ordering the execution of Ukrainian POWs."

"ISW continues to track footage and reports of Russian servicemembers executing Ukrainian POWs and has observed a wider trend of Russian abuses against Ukrainian POWs across various sectors of the front that appear to be enabled, if not explicitly endorsed, by individual Russian commanders."

Russian military bloggers (milbloggers) have largely praised the execution of the Ukrainian POWs, reaffirming the norm of justifying and celebrating war crimes in the wider Russian ultranationalist community.

Quote: "Many Russian milbloggers not only justified but celebrated the Russian execution of the POWs in Kursk Oblast by claiming that the executions were deserved or that such executions are a common aspect of war."

They have frequently glorified Russian atrocities and brutality in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, a trend that likely fosters the systematic execution of Ukrainian POWs.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 9 October:

• Russian forces have recently resumed tactical offensive attacks on the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts and have made tactical gains in localised assaults, but this activity so far does not appear to be a part of a larger operational offensive effort to support the wider Russian offensive operation in western Donetsk Oblast.
• Russian forces recently executed nine Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Kursk Oblast amid a theatre-wide increase in Russian executions of Ukrainian POWs.
• Russian milbloggers largely glorified the Russian execution of the Ukrainian POWs, reinforcing a cultural norm to justify and celebrate war crimes within the broader Russian ultranationalist community.
• Ukrainian forces recently regained lost positions near Selydove, and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, the city of Donetsk and Velyka Novosilka.

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