Official statements or press releases from the United Nations

Russian Forces Allegedly Execute Three Ukrainian POWs Near Neskuchne in Donetsk Oblast on January 3

Jan 6, 2025, 02:07 PM

Russian forces allegedly executed three Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) on January 3 near the village of Neskuchne in the Volnovakha district of Donetsk Oblast. The Ukrainian soldiers, part of the 141st Separate Infantry Brigade (141 ОПБр), were captured during an assault on their position east of point 160.9 on 3 January. After surrendering, the soldiers had their hands tied and were shot in the back of the head. According to DeepState, this incident is part of a systematic pattern of abuse against Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces. Ukraine's Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets condemned the act, calling it a violation of the Geneva Conventions and urged the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations to condemn the crime and press Russia to stop such actions. Lubinets reported that Russian forces have summarily executed 109 Ukrainian POWs in 2024 alone.