Russian forces executed at least 20 Ukrainian soldiers since December 2023 - HRW

The Russian forces appear to have executed at least 15 Ukrainian soldiers as they attempted to surrender, and possibly six more who were surrendering or who had surrendered, since early December 2023.

This is said in a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), published on May 2, Ukrinform reports.

Human rights activists stress that these incidents should be investigated as war crimes. "The summary execution – or murder – of surrendering and injured… expressly forbidden under international humanitarian law,” stated Belkis Wille, associate crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch.

According to the report, Human Rights Watch investigated three instances of the apparent summary execution of at least 12 Ukrainian soldiers by verifying and analyzing drone footage posted on social media on December 2 and December 27, and on February 25, 2024. “In these cases, the soldiers demonstrated a clear intent to surrender and, since they were no longer taking part in hostilities, were considered hors de combat and not targetable under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war,” the report says.

Human Rights Watch verified the location of two of the three incidents based on the footage, but due to the lack of geographic details in the videos, was unable to determine the exact location of the third. Human Rights Watch investigated a fourth instance by analyzing another video clip posted on social media on February 19 showing two Russian soldiers executing three surrendering and unarmed Ukrainian soldiers. Although the account that posted the clip stated the location of the incident, Human Rights Watch has not been able to verify the location independently. For the fifth incident, the investigation relied on an interview with a Ukrainian soldier, a video posted to a Telegram channel on February 16, and in-depth media coverage including interviews with family members of one of the victims. “The information suggests that six soldiers were executed in the incident, though the circumstances were less clear,” the report says.

According to HRW, in one of the five incidents, on February 25, verified drone footage shared widely online shows at least seven Ukrainian soldiers exiting a dugout among some trees between two fields, removing their body armor, at least one soldier removing their helmet, and all lying face down as five Russian soldiers aim their guns at them. “The Russian soldiers are identifiable by distinctive red tape markings around the arms and legs. Three Russian soldiers then shoot toward the clearly surrendered Ukrainian soldiers from behind and both sides,” the report says.

It is stressed that the Russian soldiers are identifiable by distinctive red tape markings around the arms and legs. Six of the Ukrainian soldiers remain face down, “visibly reacting to the impact of the shots”, while one attempts to reenter the dugout but is shot before he is able to. The incident took place near Ivanivske village in the Donetsk region.

In addition, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented Russian armed forces and Wagner Group executions of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) during the first year of the full-scale invasion. In its February to July 2023 periodic report, the UN documented the summary execution of six Ukrainian POWs. A follow-up report published in March 2024, covering the three previous months, identified 12 reported episodes of executions of at least 32 captured Ukrainian POWs.

Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on April 22, asking for details into the incidents described above, as well as any orders to Russian forces to kill instead of capture surrendering Ukrainian soldiers. It has received no response.

On April 9, the head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in the Context of Armed Conflict at the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Yuriy Bilousov, said that his department had received information indicating that about 54 Ukrainian POWs had been executed by the Russian military.

As reported by Ukrinform, Russian invaders shot unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war in Krynky, Kherson region.