On October 23, the Ukrainian military released footage purportedly showing a Russian FPV drone targeting Ukrainian farmers in Donetsk Oblast, with the 12th Brigade Azov describing it as a “safari” of civilians. The video depicts farmers fleeing agricultural equipment as the drone approaches and crashes into a vehicle. This alleged incident adds to the list of reported war crimes. Additionally, reports indicate Russian soldiers killed at least four civilians sheltering in a basement in Zvanivka, Donetsk Oblast, after attempting to obtain information about Ukrainian positions.
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A recent investigation by the Kyiv Independent reveals that high-ranking Russian officers are orchestrating military training programs for Ukrainian children from occupied territories. These programs, run by the Warrior Center for Military and Patriotic Education, were established in 2022 by a direct order from Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian teenagers from occupied regions are subjected to combat-style drills, including drone operation and firearms training, at camps such as the “Time of Young Heroes.” The Warrior Center’s leadership includes Russian State Duma deputies and Russian Armed Forces colonels with backgrounds in conflicts such as Chechnya and Syria, who have been implicated in war crimes. In 2024 alone, 1,290 Ukrainian children underwent these militarization programs in Volgograd.
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Russian drones slaughter 13,000 pigs in Kharkiv Oblast farm strikes, and it’s impossible not to react with a surge of disgust. This isn’t just an act of war; it’s a calculated attack on the very fabric of civilian life. It feels like a regression, a descent into the kind of barbarity we hoped we’d left behind. It’s weaponizing winter once again, just like they’ve done before. The targeting of civilian infrastructure, the deliberate destruction of food sources – it all points to a deeply troubling pattern.
Russian drones slaughter 13,000 pigs in Kharkiv Oblast farm strikes, and this sort of action just reinforces the perception of Russia as a petulant, underdeveloped entity that lashes out in response to any form of pressure.… Continue reading
According to an interview with the Polish-Belarusian media outlet Vot Tak, a 31-year-old Russian serviceman confessed to participating in the May 2024 execution of five captured Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk Oblast. The Ukrainian soldiers, allegedly captured near Avdiivka, were reportedly shot in the back of the head after being stripped of their belongings. The Russian serviceman, identified as Ivan Okhlopkov, stated he and others in his battalion carried out the executions under orders, and he currently is in hiding in Donetsk. This confession comes amid growing concerns from Ukraine and the U.N. over the increasing number of executed Ukrainian POWs, with accusations of a systematic policy by Russia to murder captives.
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Russian occupation authorities in Luhansk Oblast created an online database offering Ukrainian children for adoption, categorized by physical traits and presented as “orphans.” This database, which features 294 children, allows filtering based on age, eye color, and desired guardianship, raising concerns of child trafficking. Many of the children listed were born in Luhansk Oblast before the occupation and are identified as having Ukrainian citizenship, with some parents reportedly killed or forced to accept Russian identification. The abduction of Ukrainian children, a widely condemned war crime, has led to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Russian officials, although the return of the abducted children has faced resistance.
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Mykyta and Sofiia Lamekhov, both 23, along with their two-year-old son Lev and their unborn child, tragically lost their lives in a Russian missile strike on Kyiv on July 30-31. The family, originally from Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, had relocated to Kyiv in 2022. Their bodies were discovered in the rubble of their apartment, which was hit by a missile. This attack resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals, including five children, while also injuring 159 others.
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According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, a leader within the 155th Separate Marine Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces issued a disturbing order. This brigade, known for war crimes in multiple regions, is currently active in the Sumy region and has suffered significant losses. Ukrainian intelligence highlights that the 155th Brigade is a favored unit of Vladimir Putin, implicated in the torture and murder of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, thus warranting priority targeting on the battlefield.
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On July 1, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported a suspected war crime involving the alleged execution of a Ukrainian prisoner of war, citing a video depicting a captive being dragged by a motorcycle. This incident contributes to mounting evidence of systematic Geneva Convention violations by Russian forces, specifically the killing of Ukrainian captives. Lubinets has communicated with the UN and ICRC about the incident. Reports from HUR and other agencies indicate that these executions are part of a larger, deliberate policy directed by Russia’s military leadership, with confirmed incidents exceeding 150 cases.
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The Ukraine Conflict Observatory, a Yale-led initiative tracking alleged Russian war crimes, including the abduction of over 30,000 Ukrainian children, is ceasing operations due to funding cuts. The Observatory has transferred its crucial data to the Ukrainian government, the US State Department, and Europol to support future war crimes prosecutions. This closure creates a significant gap in monitoring child abductions, as the Observatory’s work uniquely supported six ICC indictments against Russia. Despite congressional efforts to restore funding, the initiative’s future remains uncertain, jeopardizing ongoing efforts to locate and return abducted children.
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Retired American teacher Stephen James Hubbard, seized from his home in Izyum, Ukraine, in April 2022, remains the only American held in Russian captivity, sentenced in October 2024 on fabricated mercenary charges. Fellow Ukrainian prisoners of war detail repeated torture inflicted upon Hubbard due to his nationality, including beatings, starvation, and denial of medical care. The U.S. State Department considers Hubbard wrongfully detained, and he is a likely candidate for a prisoner exchange with Russia.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood