On December 5th, the Ukrainian OSINT monitoring group DeepState reported that Russian forces executed a captured Ukrainian soldier in the village of Sviato-Pokrovske in the Bakhmut district. Video evidence, released by Russian sources, depicts a Ukrainian soldier surrendering before being shot at close range, with the footage appearing to document a war crime. DeepState stated that this execution of a prisoner of war violates international law. This incident follows an earlier criminal investigation into the alleged execution of other Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Donetsk region.
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On November 22nd, DeepState reported that five Ukrainian prisoners of war were executed by Russian soldiers, with video footage allegedly capturing the moment. The organization is still working to determine the exact location and timeline of this alleged war crime. This incident adds to a pattern of Russian forces executing Ukrainian soldiers, with Kyiv already investigating evidence of at least 322 POW executions. These actions violate the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit the execution of prisoners of war without a fair trial.
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Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that Russian forces are suspected of executing two captured Ukrainian servicemen near Zatyshshia, based on video evidence. Lubinets condemned this act as a deliberate violation of international law, part of a pattern of criminal behavior, and a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions. He has contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations, urging an immediate response to these systemic violations. This incident adds to reports of over 150 executed Ukrainian soldiers since the full-scale invasion began.
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A Russian marine from the 40th Separate Marine Brigade has been charged by Ukraine’s SBU with war crimes for the January execution of two Ukrainian prisoners of war near Kursk. The soldier, captured after a subsequent firefight, allegedly shot the unarmed prisoners at point-blank range after their capture. This case contributes to mounting evidence of systemic war crimes against Ukrainian POWs, including numerous deaths in captivity and confirmed instances of deliberate killings by Russian forces. The accused faces life imprisonment if convicted under Ukraine’s Criminal Code for violating the Geneva Convention.
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Ukraine’s HUR agency has documented over 150 summary executions of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered to Russian forces, a number likely underrepresenting the true scale of the problem. This surge in executions, confirmed by the UN, is attributed to direct orders given to Russian troops to kill prisoners of war, indicating a deliberate policy. The UN’s findings corroborate HUR’s data, citing numerous accounts of Ukrainian POWs being summarily killed, often in group executions, even while unarmed or wounded. These acts constitute a systematic pattern of war crimes.
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Ukraine’s recent announcement of capturing two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian forces has sparked a wave of online discussion, ranging from the practical implications of this capture to the deeply human considerations of the soldiers’ plight. The sheer unexpectedness of the event has dominated the conversation, as the involvement of North Korean troops in the conflict was not widely anticipated. The potential implications of this capture are far-reaching, with many speculating on the strategic value of these prisoners of war (POWs).
The consensus seems to be that these soldiers hold little to no traditional exchange value. Neither Russia nor North Korea would likely prioritize their repatriation, given the volatile political climate and the stringent control North Korea exerts over its citizens.… Continue reading
Ukrainian forces captured several seriously wounded North Korean soldiers, some of whom later died from their injuries; these are believed to be the first North Korean prisoners of war taken by Ukraine. Intelligence suggests thousands of North Korean troops have been deployed to the Kursk region, suffering significant casualties due to minimal protection provided by Russia. Russia’s alleged attempts to conceal these losses include falsifying identification documents and burning the bodies of deceased soldiers. Ukraine warns of the potential for further North Korean troop deployments to Russia.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood