UN Interviews with 25 Russians and 15 Ukrainians Among 400 Prisoners
Survivors Report Beatings, Torture, and Other Abuses Violating International Law
A recent investigation revealed that at least 40 prisoners of war captured by both sides in Russia's invasion of Ukraine were summarily executed.
On the 24th (local time), according to the British daily The Guardian and the German dpa news agency, Matilda Bogner, head of the human rights monitoring team at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Ukraine, announced this in a report released at a press conference held in Kyiv.
The UN explained, "The report was compiled after interviewing more than 400 prisoners of war, approximately 200 from the Russian military and 200 from the Ukrainian military."
According to the report, since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, 25 Russian soldiers and 15 Ukrainian soldiers who were prisoners of war were summarily executed. Most of these prisoners were executed immediately after being captured on the battlefield, and among the 15 Ukrainian prisoners, 11 were reportedly executed by the Russian private military company Wagner Group.
Additionally, most surviving prisoners were found to have been subjected to harsh treatment such as torture and beatings while in detention. According to the UN, international law prohibits detaining prisoners of war in closed or secret locations.
The UN stated, "Nearly half of the 229 Russian prisoners interviewed reported experiencing such treatment by Ukrainian forces or others." Similarly, 203 Ukrainian prisoners reportedly endured comparable treatment.
Russian prisoners of war returning home following prisoner exchange negotiations in January [Image source=Yonhap News]
Testimonies from Ukrainian prisoners also revealed that they were provided with barely enough food to survive. Among them were prisoners who died in detention due to lack of timely medical treatment for their injuries.
Bogner's team explained, "The Ukrainian prosecution is investigating some related cases, but no indictments have been made yet."
She added, "In reality, more prisoners of war may have been executed or exposed to extreme violence," and emphasized, "Since international law prohibits killing and assaulting prisoners of war, such cases may constitute war crimes."
Meanwhile, on the same day, the UN also released its 35th report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, covering the overall human rights conditions in Ukraine from August last year to January 31 of this year.
According to the report, more than 8,000 civilians have died and approximately 14,000 have been injured. Over 90% of these casualties were caused by missiles, landmines, and similar weapons.
During this period, there were 133 reported victims of sexual violence (85 men, 45 women, and 3 girls). Of these, 109 cases were committed by Russian forces, and the remaining 24 by Ukrainian forces.
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