By Demian Shevko — World Affairs Editor and Correspondent at The New Voice of Ukraine (English), Research fellow at National Institute for Strategic Studies
From: New Voice of Ukraine 🇺🇦
A group of Ukrainian soldiers, unarmed and defenseless, kneel in the dirt. Their hands are bound. A Russian soldier gives the order. Gunfire erupts. The bodies collapse, lifeless. The video surfaced online on March 13, 2025, offering a horrifying glimpse into the systematic execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian forces. Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, confirmed its authenticity, calling it yet another war crime added to an already staggering list.
This is not an isolated case. The execution of Ukrainian POWs has become a brutal hallmark of Russia’s war strategy, reinforcing a pattern of torture, mass killings, and absolute disregard for international law. The numbers tell a grim story: a 2024 Amnesty International reportdocumented at least 109 executions of Ukrainian POWs that year alone. Since the full-scale invasion began, the number has approached 200 confirmed cases—and that’s only what has been verified. The true scale could be far worse.
The brutality doesn’t stop at executions. Survivors rescued from Russian captivity have recounted stories of torture, electric shocks, sexual violence, severe beatings, amputations and forced confessions. Some have returned with permanent disfigurement.
Voice of Ukraine 