Intercepted radio communications and drone recordings indicate that Russia is likely ordering its troops to kill Ukrainian prisoners of war. Ukraine has stated that this is more than just barbaric war crimes. The Russians are showing that they are a bunch of sadists and degenerates. This was reported by UNN referencing CNN and Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhy.
The radio crackled, but the order that came through it was clear: seize the commander and kill the rest
CNN notes that this chilling exchange was part of a series of radio conversations between Russian troops, which Ukrainian officials say is further evidence that the Russian command is ordering soldiers to execute Ukrainian soldiers who surrender, in violation of international law.
Radio communications intercepted by Ukraine and obtained by CNN from a Ukrainian intelligence official appear to coincide with drone footage showing the alleged execution of Ukrainian soldiers by Russian soldiers in the eastern Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine last November. The video shows six soldiers lying face down on the ground, with at least two being shot at close range and another being led away
It is noted that these deaths are being investigated by Ukrainian prosecutors, who posted a screenshot of the drone video on social media after the incident.
A Ukrainian official familiar with the investigation said that the same radio intercepts obtained by CNN are being investigated as part of the murder investigation.
CNN was unable to independently authenticate the radio traffic or confirm that the communication was directly related to the drone recording, but a forensic expert who analyzed the audio files said they did not appear to be faked.
A leading investigator for the United Nations and a Western intelligence official told CNN that the radio broadcasts and drone recordings are consistent with other cases in which Russian forces allegedly executed Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered.
Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said that the radio broadcasts and drone recordings indicated the killing of soldiers who had surrendered by Russian forces, as reported by the UN.
Tidball-Binz, who has investigated similar suspected executions, called such incidents "serious violations" of international law, adding that he believes such behavior can only be sanctioned by the highest authorities in Russia.
Ukraine's response
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhy commented on CNN's report that intercepted radio communications and drone recordings indicate that Russia is ordering Russian troops to kill Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The Russian executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war who surrendered are more than just barbaric war crimes. They have become systemic, indicating a policy approved by the top leadership of Russia. In fact, any army would prefer the enemy to surrender in greater numbers. Such executions can only have the opposite effect
The Foreign Ministry spokesman stressed that by acting against even elementary military logic, the Russians are showing that they are a bunch of sadists and degenerates, from top leadership to rank-and-file soldiers.
Every such case must be punished. Every villain who pulls the trigger must know that justice will prevail. We call for full international accountability for both the executioners and their patrons all the way to the Kremlin
Cases of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war
The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine stated that as of May 5, it had opened 75 criminal cases on suspicion of executions of 268 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Prosecutor General's Office noted that the number of alleged executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war is increasing: in 2022, there were eight cases involving 57 soldiers, in 2023 - eight cases involving 11 soldiers, in 2024 - 39 cases involving 149 soldiers, and this year there are already 20 cases involving 51 soldiers.
Yuriy Belousov, head of the war crimes department of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, said that the increase is due to "instructions given by the top leadership of the Russian Federation, both political and military.