War Crimes
“Honorable Captivity” of Azov: Civic Evidence Publishes Report on the Fate of Azov Fighters in Russian Captivity
The independent initiative Civic Evidence has released a comprehensive report titled “‘Honorable Captivity’ of Azov: The System of Propaganda, Violence, and Criminal Prosecution of Servicemembers of the National Guard of Ukraine in the Russian Federation.” The report details the fate of the «Azov» service members in Russian captivity, illustrating how propaganda narratives, systemic violence, and the Russian judicial system cooperate to construct a negative image of the fighters and justify their heinous mistreatment.
“Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity”: Project on Russia’s Crimes Against POWs Presented in Kyiv
The project "Made in Russia. Delivered to Captivity" was presented in Kyiv. The event marks the 4th anniversary of the Mariupol garrison's withdrawal from "Azovstal" after 86 days of heroic defense of the city. Back then, under the provided guarantees, the defenders of Mariupol fulfilled the order of the higher command to save lives. However, the Russian Federation violated these guarantees—the majority of the "Azovstal" defenders are now in their fifth year of suffering from daily crimes in Russian captivity.
Illegal sentences for Azov POWs: two Russian judges were notified of suspicion of a war crime
The Office of the Prosecutor General has notified two judges of the Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation that they are suspected of committing a war crime – violating the right of prisoners of war to a fair and proper trial (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
Human Rights Watch: Russians have systematically tortured Ukrainian POWs
Human Rights Watch, the international human rights organisation, has published a report based on testimonies of former Ukrainian prisoners of war. The organisation states that Russian authorities and military forces have systematically tortured and ill-treated Ukrainian POWs.
Russians executed five captured Ukrainian soldiers
The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported that Russian military personnel deliberately shot Ukrainian soldiers who were in captivity. It occurred on the morning of November 27, 2025, in the direction of Huliaipole, Zaporizhzhia region.
Russia withdraws from the Convention against torture
Russian President Putin has signed a law withdrawing from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The document was published on the official legal information portal of the Russian Federation.
OSCE experts have published a report on Russia’s crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war
An independent mission of experts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has published a report on Russia's treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war. The report by experts of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism is a comprehensive international document focusing on the systematic nature of Russia's crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Russia has established a network of torture chambers for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
There are at least five secret prisons in Russia holding Ukrainian POWs, which human rights defenders discovered only in the fourth year of the full-scale war. These facilities have no official addresses or procurement records and may be sites of torture and sexual violence.
268 Ukrainian POWs Executed by Russian Forces – Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office Investigates
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, at least 268 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been executed by Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion.
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