UN has documented 129 executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war since start of full-scale invasion
A report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights documents the executions of at least 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war over a three-month period and 129 since the start of the war, as well as numerous cases of torture and ill-treatment.
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in a report published by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Monday.
It is reported that between mid-November 2025 and January 2026, the occupying forces executed at least 16 Ukrainian servicemen who had been taken prisoner. Since February 2022, the UN Human Rights Office has confirmed the executions of 129 Ukrainian prisoners of war and other persons who had ceased taking part in hostilities by Russian forces.
Almost all of the repatriated Ukrainian prisoners of war interviewed for the report reported torture or ill-treatment whilst in captivity, including severe beatings, the use of electric shocks, the denial of adequate medical care and other forms of ill-treatment. The report also documents sexual violence against Ukrainian prisoners of war, detained civilians and civilians in the occupied territory.
It is reported that in the territory occupied by the Russian Federation, there have been documented cases of torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary detentions, concerns regarding the right to a fair trial, the forced conscription of protected persons, as well as the continued ban on the Ukrainian curriculum and the aggressor state’s compulsory imposition of its own military-patriotic education classes on children.
The report contains recommendations for the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the international community, aimed at strengthening the protection of civilians, ensuring accountability, supporting victims and restoring critical infrastructure and essential services.
The report is based on 1,926 interviews with victims and witnesses, 180 site visits, 48 visits to places of detention, 78 visits to hospitals, the monitoring of 33 court hearings, as well as technical analysis, analysis of satellite imagery and data from open sources.
It should be noted that the Office of the Human Rights Commissioner in Ukraine has documented 337 cases of deliberate executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian invaders.
