Number of executions of Ukrainian POWs increases every month – Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office

Prosecutors have initiated 13 cases into the executions of 54 Ukrainian prisoners of war in October and November, which is a third of all such proceedings in 2024. Source: Taras Semkiv, Deputy Head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in the Context of Armed Conflict at the Prosecutor General's Office, on the air of Suspilne, the Ukrainian public broadcaster Details: Prosecutors are currently investigating 53 criminal cases related to the execution of 177 Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The majority of these crimes were recorded in 2024, with 37 cases involving the execution of 109 individuals.

Quote: "In October and November this year, 13 criminal cases were registered concerning the execution of 54 Ukrainian prisoners of war. This represents a third of all cases initiated in 2024 for such crimes. Consequently, the total number of those executed increases every month.

This indicates the involvement of military commanders rather than decisions made by individual rank-and-file soldiers." Details: Semkiv notes that these crimes occur across all frontlines, and the prosecutor general's office has identified the units involved. The deputy head also clarified that four criminal cases have been initiated in Russia's Kursk Oblast concerning the execution of Ukrainian soldiers.

Quote: "Our data indicates that at least 20 individuals were executed there.

However, this crime remains largely concealed, and we currently lack complete information. It is clear that the total number of deaths could be significantly higher."  Background:

• On 20 November, reports on social media suggested the potential execution of captured Ukrainian defenders surrounded in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

  Dmytro Lubinets, Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that he had sent letters to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding this crime.

• On the same day, Ukrainian prosecutors launched an investigation into yet another war crime committed by Russian forces, who had executed Ukrainian prisoners of war on the Pokrovsk front in Donetsk Oblast.

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