Kateryna Chernoval22:10, 21.05.25

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine has already opened 75 criminal proceedings into the executions of 268 Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian invaders.

Ukraine intercepted negotiations between Russian occupiers, during which the order was clearly heard to “capture the commander and kill the others.” This became further evidence that the Russian command is deliberately ordering its troops  to execute Defense Force fighters who surrender – such tactics are a gross violation of international law. 

According to CNN , which obtained the recording from a Ukrainian intelligence officer, this radio exchange between the occupiers appears to coincide with drone footage of the execution of Ukrainian soldiers in Zaporizhia last November. The video showed six soldiers lying face down on the ground. At least two of them were shot at point-blank range by the Russians, while one was taken to the side. 

In the intercepted recording, a Russian commander, whose name and rank CNN was unable to identify, can be heard speaking to soldiers (callsigns “Arta” and “Bely”) on the front lines. The commander gave orders to kill six times. 

“Ask who the commander is. Who the commander is? Ask. Take the commander prisoner, and kill everyone else,” he declared, repeating the criminal order several more times later. 

The cases of execution of Ukrainian prisoners are being investigated by the prosecutor’s office. And an official familiar with the investigation said that the intercepts obtained by journalists are being studied as part of the proceedings. 

A forensic expert who analyzed the audio files confirmed to CNN that they had not been manipulated. The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz, said that the incidents of executions of Ukrainian prisoners were serious violations of international law. In his opinion, such behavior could only have been authorized by the highest authorities in Russia:

“They would not have occurred in such numbers and with such frequency without the orders – or at least the consent – ​​of the high military command, which in Russia means the president.”

An unnamed Western intelligence official also acknowledged the authenticity of the files, saying they were “consistent with previously documented brutal executions.”

“It is obvious that the soldier receives an order to execute Ukrainian soldiers who have surrendered,” he added, noting that he is studying similar materials from other cases, which only “strengthens the evidence of a directive from the Russian command to kill Ukrainian soldiers who have surrendered or are in the process of surrendering.”

As of May 5, the Prosecutor General’s Office has opened 75 criminal proceedings on the alleged executions of 268 Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian invaders. And the number of such cases is growing. The head of the Russian War Crimes Investigation Department, Yuri Belousov, stressed that the increase in the number of executions of prisoners is due to “instructions from the top leadership of the Russian Federation, both political and military.”

“We haven’t seen written orders yet, but we have a few examples of verbal orders,” he explained.

Ukrainian officials claim that the executions of Ukrainian soldiers are fueled by Russian cultural hatred of Ukrainians. However, they are also intended to have a psychological impact.

Executions of Ukrainian prisoners by the Russian army

Russian occupation forces are systematically violating international law by executing Ukrainian soldiers who, under various circumstances, fall into enemy captivity. Such treatment of prisoners of war constitutes a grave war crime. 

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets recently spoke about one such case . On May 3 of this year, three servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were performing a combat mission at positions in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region. During the assault, the occupiers surrounded our defenders, forced them to lay down their arms and surrender, and then executed them.

In March 2025, the Russians executed a group of Ukrainian prisoners , the ombudsman reported. The published footage showed at least 5 supposedly killed defenders of Ukraine. 

(c)UNIAN 2025