Number of executions of Ukrainian POWs increases, it is Russia's deliberate policy – Prosecutor General

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has said that the number of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by the Russians has increased over the past year. Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin has emphasised that these crimes are not separate incidents, but Russia’s deliberate policy.

Source: Kostin in an interview with La Libre, a Belgian media outlet, quoted by the press service of the Office of the Prosecutor General

Details: Kostin said that the number of executions of Ukrainian POWs by the Russians increased in 2024. Torture and summary executions are used as a weapon of war, intimidation and murder.

Kostin stressed that these cases are not separate incidents, but an organised and targeted policy. For example, there is an audio recording of a Russian officer ordering his troops not to take prisoners on the battlefield but to kill Ukrainian soldiers.

The prosecutor general added that one of the key tasks for the judiciary is to hold Russia and its leadership accountable for the crime of aggression, without which more than 140,000 war crimes would not have been committed.

Kostin said that most of the Russian war criminals have been convicted in absentia by Ukrainian courts, but a court verdict is fundamental to the process of restoring justice and healing those who suffered.

Quote: "Investigating war crimes during the conflict is, of course, extremely difficult. We document, investigate and prosecute every crime committed by the aggressor in national courts. But our task goes much further. We are implementing a methodology for prosecuting more specific crimes, such as sexual violence, crimes against children and environmental crimes.

It is important to bring to justice the masterminds of this invasion – the president, the prime minister, key military officials – and show them that they can be held accountable, despite the gaps in international law. The ICC does not have jurisdiction on this matter, but we are working on a legal formula with about 40 states around the world.

Therefore, if Putin dares to attend the G20 meeting in Brazil, he must be arrested.

Refusal to execute an arrest warrant strengthens Russia's position. All our hopes now rest on the independence of the Brazilian judiciary."

Background: 

• Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) pointed to an increase in executions of Ukrainian POWs, which are condoned and encouraged by Russian commanders.
• On 13 October, Deepstate reported that Russian troops executed nine Ukrainian prisoners of war near the village of Zeleny Shlyakh, Kursk Oblast, on 10 October.

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