Ukrainian sniper Oleksandr Matsievsky was captured by Russian forces during the first year of the full-scale invasion. A chilling video later surfaced, showing him smoking his final cigarette in a forest, seemingly next to a grave he had been forced to dig. As he says "Glory to Ukraine!" to his captors, gunshots ring out, and he falls lifeless to the ground. His execution is among many others.

In October, reports surfaced of nine Ukrainian soldiers shot dead by Russian forces in the Kursk region. Ukrainian prosecutors have launched an investigation, prompted by a photograph showing the victims' bodies, partially naked, lying on the ground. One of the victims, drone operator Ruslan Holubenko, was identified by his mother, who recognized him by the underwear she had bought him for a trip to the sea. “I saw his shoulder wound in the picture too," she told local broadcaster Suspilne Chernihiv.

The list of reported executions continues to grow. Ukrainian investigators are looking into allegations of beheadings and even reports of a sword being used to kill a Ukrainian soldier, his hands bound behind his back. In another case, a video showed 16 Ukrainian soldiers apparently being lined up and shot with automatic gunfire after emerging from the woods to surrender.

Some of these executions were filmed by Russian soldiers themselves, while others were captured by Ukrainian drones monitoring the area. The footage often comes from forests or fields with no distinct landmarks, making pinpointing the exact location difficult. However, BBC Verify has confirmed in several cases—such as one involving a beheading—that the victims were wearing Ukrainian uniforms and the videos were recent.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General’s Office reports that at least 147 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been executed by Russian forces since the invasion began, with 127 of those deaths occurring this year. “The upward trend is evident,” says Yuri Belousov, head of Ukraine’s War Department. "These executions have become systematic since November last year, with an increase in the summer and autumn of this year. This suggests these are not isolated incidents but part of a broader policy, with evidence pointing to orders being issued for such actions."

Under international humanitarian law, particularly the Third Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are to be protected from execution, and such killings are classified as war crimes. Despite this, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader aligned with Russia, had briefly instructed his commanders not to take prisoners during the war in Ukraine.

Human Rights Watch's Rachel Denber has emphasized the weight of evidence implicating Russian forces in the execution of Ukrainian POWs. She also raised critical questions about the instructions given to Russian military units, the role of their commanders, and the lack of accountability for these actions. “What are Russian military commanders telling their units about how to treat prisoners? Are they investigating these crimes, and if not, are they aware that they too could be held criminally liable?" she asked.

To date, there has been no indication that Russia is conducting a formal investigation into the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war. In fact, acknowledging such incidents is a criminal offense in Russia, punishable by imprisonment. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly claimed that Russian forces have treated Ukrainian POWs "strictly according to international law and conventions."

While Ukrainian forces have also been accused of executing Russian prisoners, the number of such cases remains much smaller. Yuri Belousov of Ukraine’s Prosecutor-General’s Office has stated that such accusations are being taken very seriously and investigated thoroughly, though no charges have been filed so far.

Since the invasion began in February 2022, Human Rights Watch has documented a wide range of Russian violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. The record of abuses is so severe that some Ukrainian soldiers prefer to die rather than risk capture.

The mother of Ruslan Holubenko, still officially listed as missing in action, shared her son's final words before he was captured: "He told me, 'Mum, I'll never surrender. Forgive me, I know you'll cry, but I don't want to be tortured.'” Despite the heartbreaking photo of his body, she clings to the hope that he may still be alive. "I’ll do everything possible to get my child back. I keep looking at this photo. Maybe he's just unconscious? I want to believe— I don't want to think he's gone."