Law enforcement agencies are investigating 306 instances of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces
Under the norms of international humanitarian law, a combatant who ceases participation in hostilities acquires the protected status of a person hors de combat (out of the fight). This rule applies automatically as soon as a service member lays down their arms and expresses an intention to surrender, falls into the power of the opposing side, or sustains an injury that renders them physically incapable of continuing combat. From that moment on, they cease to be a legitimate military target. Despite this, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, human rights defenders, and independent international monitoring missions consistently document a contrary practice by the Russian armed forces.
One recently documented instance of the killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war occurred on April 11, 2026, near the settlement of Veterynarne in the Kharkiv region. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, Russian troops captured four soldiers from a mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and subsequently killed them. The crime took place during the officially announced Easter truce. Law enforcement authorities have initiated a pre-trial investigation. The actions of the Russian military personnel have been classified under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—violation of the laws and customs of war involving premeditated murder.
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, as of May 2026, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are investigating 306 cases involving the killing of Ukrainian servicemen on the battlefield after they had surrendered. These incidents have been consolidated into 116 criminal proceedings. Prosecutors specify that these cases involve soldiers killed after laying down their arms or being rendered unable to resist due to injuries. These statistics do not include the Ukrainian prisoners of war who died at the Olenivka penal colony.
Back in May, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that 337 executions of Ukrainian service members taken prisoner by Russia had already been documented. According to him, the torture, abuse, and execution of Ukrainian soldiers are not isolated incidents but point to a deliberate practice by Russia. The Ombudsman also emphasized that mere expressions of “deep concern” from international partners are insufficient; the world must take decisive action in response to Russia’s crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The Security Service of Ukraine also reported that, as of April 15, 2026, nine Russian servicemen had been officially notified of suspicion regarding the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Indictments against seven of them have already been sent to court, and five war criminals have been found guilty and sentenced.
In February 2026, a Ukrainian court handed down the first verdict for the killing of Ukrainian prisoners, specifically within the Kursk region. The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv sentenced Russian serviceman Vladimir Ivanov to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of shooting two Ukrainian prisoners of war. The crime itself occurred on January 9, 2025, in a forest near the village of Guevo in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. According to the case file, Ivanov, along with other Russian soldiers, shot two Ukrainian territorial defense fighters—Ivan Kondratyuk and Viktor Lyapota. The Ukrainian soldiers had already laid down their arms, raised their hands, and were not offering resistance; therefore, they could not have been legitimate military targets. A Ukrainian drone captured the moment of the murder. Ukrainian soldiers subsequently tracked down the perpetrators and captured Ivanov. At his trial, he fully admitted his guilt. Overall, Ivanov became the third Russian serviceman to be convicted in Ukraine for such a crime.
Furthermore, the court ordered Ivanov and the Russian government to pay 50 million hryvnias in compensation to the 14-year-old son of one of the fallen defenders.
Ukrainian human rights activist Andriy Yakovlev noted in an Ukrinform article that the Russian high military command may also be involved in crimes against Ukrainian prisoners. In his opinion, commanders and high-ranking officials in positions of authority could not have been unaware of their subordinates’ actions, especially when such incidents recur and become widespread. If the killing of prisoners is documented across various sectors, if Russian military personnel publicly justify such brutality, and if the command fails to halt these actions or punish the perpetrators, this may indicate a tolerance for criminal practices or the existence of informal orders.
Under international humanitarian law, the killing of prisoners of war constitutes one of the gravest violations. Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions prohibits violence against persons not taking an active part in hostilities. This category includes, in particular, military personnel who have laid down their arms, been captured, are wounded, or are otherwise unable to continue fighting. Furthermore, the Third Geneva Convention mandates humane treatment for prisoners of war. They must be protected against violence, intimidation, humiliation, and unlawful deprivation of life. Any state action resulting in a prisoner’s death or posing a serious threat to their health is considered a gross violation of the Convention. Similarly, customary international humanitarian law prohibits attacks on persons hors de combat—that is, those who are already in the power of the opposing side, are unarmed or wounded, or have clearly expressed an intention to surrender. For such individuals, the war has effectively ended in a legal sense: they cannot be targeted and must be protected.
