The Daily Populous Sunday May 25th, 2025 morning edition
Authored by kyivindependent.com and submitted by BreakfastTop6899

This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) has documented more than 150 cases of Ukrainian soldiers being summarily executed after surrendering to Russian forces, the agency said on May 24.

The agency noted that this figure includes those cases recorded by HUR, suggesting the actual total may be higher. The statement came as Kyiv and Moscow began their largest prisoner exchange of the full-scale war.

There has been a sharp rise in executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian forces since 2024.

Intelligence officials have cited multiple instances in which Russian troops received direct orders to kill prisoners of war. According to HUR, these acts are not isolated incidents but part of a deliberate and systematic policy of the Russian leadership.

This pattern of war crimes has also been confirmed by the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. In a report released on March 19, the commission found a growing number of cases in which Russian forces deliberately killed or maimed Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered or attempted to surrender.

"Several (Russian deserters) told the commission that they had received orders not to take prisoners but kill them instead," the U.N. report read. One described a deputy brigade commander saying, "Prisoners are not needed, shoot them on the spot."

In February, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine raised alarm over a sharp increase in executions of Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces, documenting 79 POW executions across 24 separate incidents since late August 2024, some involving group killings.

The U.N. findings, based on witness testimony and verified media content, describe Ukrainian POWs, including unarmed or wounded soldiers, being shot on the spot, often in areas of active Russian military operations. The mission also noted public calls by Russian figures and military-linked social media accounts for such killings.

ArgonWolf on May 24th, 2025 at 14:59 UTC »

This is always, without a doubt, the stupidest thing for an army to do if they intend to actually win a war

You want to give opposing troops an out. If you give them a chance to run away or otherwise stop fighting, that’s one less guy you have to kill while they’re trying to kill you. If you give them no out, they have no option but to fight to the death

You want your opponent to know that they will be spared if they lay on their weapons. You want them to think that they have a chance of living

As always, taking the cruelest choice is also the stupidest choice, yet Putin and his generals can’t seem to help themselves

International_Ad5624 on May 24th, 2025 at 14:46 UTC »

This is unsurprising considering there are videos of them doing much worse, like the guy that got literally neutered before getting killed

newUsername2 on May 24th, 2025 at 14:30 UTC »

We have no reason to doubt this. War is hell and Russia is not known for following any rules.