The SBU is investigating the killings of 306 Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian military personnel
The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating 116 criminal cases involving the executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war. According to the agency, these cases concern the deaths of 306 Ukrainian defenders, in which Russian military personnel are alleged to have been involved.
This was reported by Andriy Shvets, head of the SBU’s Main Investigation Department, in an interview with Censor.NET.
"From February 2022 to April 2026, 116 criminal cases are being investigated regarding the executions of 306 Ukrainian prisoners of war on the battlefield," he said.
According to Shvets, the most widespread and brutal cases of extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian servicemen have been recorded in the Kursk and Donetsk sectors. "The most brutal methods of execution are observed here—mass shootings, beheadings, and dismemberment," he noted.
Shvets emphasized that the extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian servicemen carried out by the Russian Armed Forces are systematic and widespread in nature and are effectively sanctioned by the political leadership of the aggressor state.
"Indeed, following the launch of the 'Kursk' operation in 2024, the President of the Russian Federation stated in a speech that all Ukrainian servicemen participating in this operation are terrorists and are subject to physical elimination. Such actions by the aggressor’s military personnel were subsequently rewarded by the Russian military leadership for their actual commission of war crimes,” explained the head of the SBU’s Main Investigation Department.
According to Shvets, as of April 15, 2026, nine Russian Armed Forces servicemen have been notified of suspicion. Indictments against seven individuals have been sent to court, and five have already been convicted.
He also noted that in 2024–2025, cases of cruel treatment of Ukrainian Security and Defense Forces prisoners by Russian Armed Forces personnel, as well as their killings during capture, increased significantly.
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