Ukrainian POWs ‘being systematically executed’ by Russia, says top commander

Prisoners of war are being systematically executed by Russian forces, according to one of Ukraine’s most decorated soldiers.

Major Oleh Shyriaiev, who was awarded the top national decoration of Hero of Ukraine for his leadership on the battlefield, told The Times that he often intercepts transmissions in which orders to kill surrendering troops are given by Russian military leaders.

Combat observers say evidence of alleged war crimes by Russian troops has grown in recent months. Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukraine even as peace talks continue between the US and European and Russian leaders.

Footage taken by Russian soldiers or Ukrainian reconnaissance drones appears to show servicemen being lined up and shot dead after they surrender. One clip, filmed by a drone on 19 November near Pokrovsk, allegedly shows a soldier firing at four unarmed men with a machine gun as they lie face down, then he shoots at another man attempting to flee.

Claimed cases of beheadings are also being investigated by Ukrainian prosecutors, as well as an alleged incident of a Ukrainian soldier with his hands tied behind his back being killed with a sword.

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Shyriaiev, who commands the Ukrainian 225th Separate Assault Battalion, said: “The number of executions is growing and this is happening in all directions of the front line. For Russians, there are no red lines ... In the wiretaps and radio communication that we intercept, we routinely hear their military leadership giving orders to execute our servicemen who are trying to surrender. This practice has become a systematic one, I would say, in the last year and a half.

“They are demonstrating to the whole civilised world that they can do things with impunity. But also, they are showing that they do not respect the rules of warfare and any international conventions that have been signed by countries.”

Russian forces have executed at least 147 Ukrainian prisoners of war since the start of the war in 2022, with 147 taking place this year, according to the Ukrainian prosecution service, reflecting the commander’s observations.

Yuri Belousov, who leads the war crimes department at the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office, said: “The upward trend is very clear, very obvious. Sadly, their number has been particularly on the rise this summer and autumn. This tells us that they are not isolated cases. They are happening across vast areas and they have clear signs of being part of a policy.”

The United Nations has also recorded a rise in alleged Russian war crimes since mid-November, according to Danielle Bell, the head of the UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine.

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Prisoners of war are offered protection by international humanitarian law, especially the Third Geneva Convention, with execution being classified as a war crime.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said that Ukrainian prisoners of war have “always” been treated “strictly in line with international legal documents and international conventions” by Russian forces.

The revelations come as US President Donald Trump hailed crucial peace talks between the US and Ukraine as “terrific” but acknowledged “thorny issues” remained before a deal could be achieved over the war with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Sunday, hoping to make progress on the proposed 20-point peace plan, with particular concerns over security and economic agreements.

The two leaders gave little away during a press conference following the discussions, but Mr Trump said he believed “a lot of progress” had been made.