Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has denounced the alleged execution of nine Ukrainian troops by Russian forces in the Kursk border region. The shocking claims have sparked international condemnation, adding fuel to the ongoing fire of war crimes accusations that have plagued the Russian military since the start of its invasion in February 2022.
Lubinets said he had formally written to both the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), accusing Moscow of violating “all the rules and customs of war.” His allegations, which remain unverified by independent sources, stem from drone footage reportedly showing the dead Ukrainian soldiers, who were stripped to their underwear and lying face down in farmland in Kursk. Ukrainian human rights organization DeepState, which first reported the footage, said the victims were drone operators who had been overrun by Russian forces.
The disturbing footage has gripped international audiences and raised questions about the treatment of prisoners of war (POWs) on both sides of the conflict. Although Russia has not yet commented on the allegations, Kyiv’s decision to swiftly elevate the issue to the international community underscores the severity of the claims.
“Such actions must not go unpunished, and the enemy must bear full responsibility,” Lubinets wrote on his Telegram channel. “The international community should not turn a blind eye to such crimes.”
According to DeepState, the Ukrainian drone operators were caught in a swift Russian advance in the Kursk region, an area of increasing military focus for both sides since Ukraine’s unexpected incursion into Russian territory earlier this summer. Although Ukraine has deployed thousands of troops to the border in recent months, reports of mass executions of soldiers represent a new and deeply unsettling chapter in the conflict.
The execution of prisoners of war is a clear violation of the Geneva Convention, a series of international treaties that govern the treatment of captured and wounded soldiers during wartime. Under the convention, POWs are entitled to humane treatment, including protection from violence, intimidation, and acts of reprisal. Any violation of these norms constitutes a war crime.
This is not the first time Ukraine has accused Russia of committing such atrocities. Kyiv has consistently leveled charges against Moscow for executing captured Ukrainian soldiers. Earlier this month, Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office alleged that Russian forces had executed at least 93 Ukrainian soldiers since the beginning of the war. The latest allegations could further isolate Russia on the world stage, as more instances of potential war crimes continue to emerge.
Adding to the grim picture, an official investigation has been opened into reports that Russian troops executed 16 Ukrainian soldiers in the eastern Donetsk region, near the embattled city of Pokrovsk. Officials have described this event as potentially the “largest mass execution” of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces to date, underscoring the scale of violence and disregard for international law that Kyiv accuses Russia of perpetuating.
The Kursk border region, where the alleged executions took place, has become a new focal point in the broader conflict. Following months of fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, Kyiv launched an offensive into Russian territory earlier this summer, catching Moscow off-guard. Ukrainian officials hope this strategic move will force Russia to redeploy troops away from critical battle zones in eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have noted that Russia has responded to this incursion by significantly increasing its troop presence in Kursk. The number of Russian forces in the region has swelled from around 11,000 to an estimated 40,000 troops. Despite this buildup, Ukraine’s offensive has not succeeded in significantly slowing Russian advances in eastern Ukraine, where intense fighting continues.
As Ukrainian forces grapple with challenges in Kursk, Russian forces have continued their steady, and often brutal, push through eastern Ukraine. The Donbas region remains a central battlefield, with towns and cities changing hands in slow, grinding advances that take a devastating toll on both military personnel and civilians.
In his nightly address to the nation on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the difficult conditions faced by his troops. “There are very difficult conditions, with harsh enemy actions” in both Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, Zelensky said. His remarks reflected the reality on the ground, where Russian troops have adopted a war of attrition, gradually wearing down Ukrainian defenses through relentless artillery barrages and assaults.
On Sunday, the Russian defense ministry announced that its forces had seized control of Mykhailivka, a village near the strategically significant city of Pokrovsk. If Pokrovsk falls to Russian forces, it could severely hamper Ukraine’s ability to resupply its forces in key towns across eastern Ukraine, potentially altering the course of the war in the region.
Pokrovsk’s strategic importance cannot be overstated. The city serves as a critical logistics hub for Ukrainian forces fighting in the Donetsk region. If Russian forces can capture it, they could disrupt supply lines and communication networks, significantly weakening Ukrainian resistance in other contested areas such as Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
For months, Russian forces have been advancing toward Pokrovsk, but progress has been slow. Ukrainian troops have fortified their positions around the city, and the terrain has proven challenging for Russia’s mechanized units. However, with the recent capture of Mykhailivka, Russian forces are now within striking distance of Pokrovsk, and a large-scale battle could be on the horizon.
Military experts believe that a Russian victory in Pokrovsk could shift the balance of power in the Donetsk region, making it even more difficult for Ukraine to repel Russian forces in the long term. The stakes are high, and both sides are preparing for what could be one of the war’s most significant confrontations.
While ground battles continue to rage in Donetsk and Kursk, Russia has maintained its strategy of aerial bombardments across Ukraine. Air force officials in Kyiv reported that Moscow launched 68 drones and four missiles toward Ukrainian territory in the early hours of Sunday morning. Ukraine’s air defense systems intercepted the majority of the drones, but some missiles managed to strike key infrastructure targets.
Russia’s persistent use of drones and missiles to target Ukrainian cities and infrastructure has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community. These attacks, which often hit civilian areas, have been labeled as attempts to terrorize the population and break Ukrainian morale. Despite the bombardments, Ukraine has continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience, with many of its citizens adapting to life under the constant threat of air raids.
The allegations of war crimes in Kursk and the continued violence in Donetsk have once again thrust the Ukraine war into the spotlight on the global stage. International organizations such as the United Nations and the Red Cross are likely to face growing pressure to investigate the reported executions and hold those responsible accountable.
Western governments, particularly in Europe and the United States, have been unwavering in their support for Ukraine, providing the embattled nation with billions of dollars in military aid and humanitarian assistance. However, the ongoing violence and reports of atrocities are likely to prompt renewed calls for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Yet, with no end in sight and both sides entrenched in their positions, achieving a peaceful resolution seems as elusive as ever.
The Kremlin has consistently denied any involvement in war crimes and continues to frame its invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation” aimed at protecting Russian-speaking populations in eastern Ukraine. However, the mounting evidence of human rights abuses, combined with the widespread destruction wrought by Russia’s military campaign, paints a very different picture.
As the war grinds on into its third year, the human toll continues to rise. Civilians and soldiers alike have borne the brunt of the violence, with millions displaced, thousands killed, and entire cities reduced to rubble. The alleged execution of Ukrainian troops in Kursk is yet another grim reminder of the brutal realities of this conflict and the urgent need for accountability on both sides.
