Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reported that Russian forces executed five Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Kursk Oblast. A video circulating online allegedly shows unarmed Ukrainian soldiers being killed after their capture.
Lubinets said he had sent reports to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to document the alleged war crime.
“Once again, we see the cynical disregard for international humanitarian law by the Russian army. Those who give the orders and carry out these atrocities must face severe consequences,” Lubinets wrote on Telegram.
🤬 A video emerges showing Russian troops executing unarmed Ukrainian POWs
At least five Ukrainian soldiers were reportedly executed in the village of Kazachya Loknya, Kursk region.
Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that he has sent official letters to the UN and the… pic.twitter.com/9UhGg92Qby
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 13, 2025
Ukrainian activist Serhii Sternenko said the incident reportedly occurred near Kozacha Loknya. The soldiers had been cut off from their main forces for a week before the execution.
The alleged execution comes as Russian forces advance in Kursk Oblast.
Earlier this week, in his first visit to Kursk since Ukrainian forces captured parts of the region in 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Ukrainian captives “terrorists.” He later said foreign fighters are not protected under the Geneva Conventions.
Ukraine had repeatedly accused Russia of violating international law in its treatment of POWs. As of December 2024, Ukraine has documented 177 executions of captured soldiers, while the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented 79 extrajudicial killings in 24 separate incidents since August 2024.
