The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that at least 32 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) captured by Russia had been executed between December 1, 2023, and February 29. Reports of Ukrainian POWs being tortured or killed while in Russian captivity have been emerging since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed that 19 criminal investigations were ongoing regarding the execution of 45 Ukrainian POWs. OHCHR interviewed 60 Ukrainian soldiers who were released from captivity, and their accounts detailed widespread torture, inhuman treatment, and punishment of Ukrainian POWs in Russian captivity, along with detention conditions that violated international law.
OHCHR also conducted interviews with 44 Russian prisoners of war, who did not report torture in official Ukrainian detention centers. However, the organization noted “credible allegations” of instances of torture and ill-treatment of Russian POWs at transit locations after being evacuated from the battlefield. An investigation by the Kyiv Independent from last December highlighted the harsh conditions, hunger, and torture at the Olenivka prison camp in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast. The report mentioned that Russian troops had executed at least seven Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered as POWs near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on February 24, according to Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
The OHCHR report documented 12 cases of executions of Ukrainian POWs, with at least 32 confirmed deaths, some of whom were killed in groups. The report verified three incidents where Russian servicemen executed seven Ukrainian servicemen who were incapacitated. The accounts from released Ukrainian soldiers corroborated earlier reports of torture and mistreatment in Russian captivity. OHCHR stated that the Ukrainian POWs were subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment, and the detention conditions did not adhere to international law. The organization also emphasized that while Russian POWs did not report torture in official Ukrainian places of detention, there were credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment at transit locations after evacuation from the battlefield.
The Kyiv Independent’s investigation revealed the severe conditions at the Olenivka prison camp, including hunger, torture, and inhumane treatment of prisoners. These findings were consistent with the broader pattern of mistreatment and abuse of Ukrainian POWs in Russian captivity. The report underscored the urgent need for international attention and action to address the violations of human rights in the context of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The execution of Ukrainian POWs, along with the documented cases of torture and inhuman treatment, highlighted the brutality and disregard for basic rights in the treatment of prisoners of war. The OHCHR report called for accountability for those responsible for such violations and stressed the importance of ensuring the protection and respect of the rights of all individuals, including prisoners of war, in accordance with international law.
