For Ukrainian soldiers, surrendering to the adversary on the battlefield is a lot like playing Russian roulette: The risk of being executed on the spot is all too real. A report by the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW), made public on Thursday, May 2, states that since December 2023, at least 15 Ukrainian soldiers have been shot dead after surrendering. It has called for investigations into "war crimes," so that those responsible can be brought to justice. It followed another report published on March 26 by the UN's human rights watchdog, which established that Russian forces likely executed more than 30 Ukrainian prisoners of war (PoWs) during the winter months.
This information will come as no surprise to those who have followed the conflict on social media. Videos of atrocities surface regularly, sometimes taken from drones on both sides, sometimes by the perpetrators themselves. Practically every instance of abuse has been filmed on both sides by surveillance drones, occasionally even at night, leading military analysts to describe it as "battlefield transparency."
In contrast to conflicts of the past, the increasingly frequent presence of video sensors on the Ukrainian battlefield has made it easier to document war crimes. Using drone footage, HRW was able to investigate three separate cases of summary executions, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 Ukrainian soldiers. In each case, the victim had clearly demonstrated his intent to surrender and was hors de combat, or no longer taking part in hostilities. Under international humanitarian law and the so-called "rules of war," such soldiers should not be targeted, the NGO emphasized.
In an incident dating back to February 25, drone footage posted on X shows at least seven Ukrainian soldiers emerging from a shelter under a stand of trees bordering two fields. They can be seen removing their bulletproof vests, and at least one of them takes off his helmet. They then lay face down on the ground. Their opponents can be identified by the distinctive red ribbons worn around their arms and legs. Three Russian soldiers then fire at the unarmed men from behind and from both sides. Six Ukrainians are seen lying on the ground on their stomachs, their bodies shaking from the impact of bullets. Another tries to escape to a shelter but is shot before he can reach it.
It's not uncommon for Russian soldiers to film their own crimes, which are then broadcast on Telegram channels that support the invasion of Ukraine. The most high-profile case is that of Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Matsievskyi, presumably executed on December 30, 2022. A video taken by a Russian soldier near Bakhmut shows him standing on the spot where he had just been captured, grim-faced, unarmed and smoking a cigarette. No doubt realizing what was about to happen, he shouts "Glory to Ukraine" and is immediately hit with bullets from several automatic rifles all fired at once.
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