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“It’s Not a War Crime If You Had Fun”: Execution of POWs as Russian State Policy
The execution and torture of prisoners of war is a Kremlin state policy, honed over decades of wars of conquest. In the course of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Russian military has taken its most brutal practices to a new level on a horrifying scale. As of the end of 2025, the Russians had executed at least 337 Ukrainian prisoners of war — a grave war crime.
A Show Trial System: Russia Mass-Sentences Ukrainian POWs on Fabricated Charges
“I asked what crime I had committed, what evidence you have.” The answer was brief: “You were in Azov.” Show trials, torture-induced confessions, and fabricated charges constitute a systemic violation of international humanitarian law by Russia. Ukrainians in captivity are forced to endure this process, receiving sentences of 15, 25 years, or even life imprisonment.
Three-Day POW Exchange: 1,000 Ukrainians Return Home
Between May 23 and 25, Ukraine and Russia carried out a major prisoner exchange under the previously announced “1000 for 1000” deal, agreed during negotiations in Türkiye.
Olenivka: A War Crime That Can Not Be Forgotten
On the night of July 28–29, 2022, an explosion tore through the barracks of Volnovakha penal colony No. 120 in Russian-occupied Olenivka. At least 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed.
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