Over 110 Ukrainian Military Personnel Executed by Russia After Surrender

Over 110 Ukrainian military personnel have been executed after surrendering to Russian captivity. This was announced by Yurii Bielousov, head of the Department of the Prosecutor General's Office for Combating Crimes Committed in Armed Conflict, in an interview with Ukrinform published on Wednesday, July 3.

Bielousov added that 62 cases involve executions during surrender to captivity, and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are investigating 28 criminal cases related to these incidents.

"Investigating is challenging because we do not have access to the territory, and sometimes not even to the bodies of the deceased. However, there are various technologies that allow us to document as much as possible of what happened, even without direct access," Bielousov explained.

He also mentioned that the International Criminal Court (ICC), in collaboration with Ukrainian investigators, is working on investigating torture and cruel treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian prisons.

According to Bielousov, the torture of Ukrainian prisoners in Russian places of captivity has become systematic, indicating that it is an integral part of Russian policy. Bielousov clarified that such investigations are a priority for the ICC, expressing hope that cooperation with the ICC will yield results.

Currently, Ukrainian investigators are gathering evidence from locations where the practice of torture is most widespread. "We have a separate unit dedicated to this specific area. It's only a matter of time before these individuals (involved in torture - Ed.) fall into our hands," Bielousov emphasized.

On June 18, it was reported that Russian forces in the Volnovakha district of Donetsk region have beheaded a Ukrainian soldier. Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said one of the units of the Russian army received an order not to capture Ukrainian soldiers and instead behead them.

The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is a serious international crime.