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Ukraine: Russian Forces Executed Surrendering Ukraine Soldiers
Human Rights Watch ^ | 2 May 2024 | Human Rights Watch

Posted on 05/02/2024 10:05:48 AM PDT by MeganC

(Kyiv, May 2, 2024) – Russian forces appear to have executed at least 15 Ukrainian soldiers as they attempted to surrender, and possibly six more who were surrendering or who had surrendered, since early December 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. These incidents should be investigated as war crimes.

“Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, its forces have committed many heinous war crimes,” said Belkis Wille, associate crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch. “The summary execution – or murder – of surrendering and injured Ukrainian soldiers, gunned down in cold blood, expressly forbidden under international humanitarian law, is also included in that shameful legacy.”

Human Rights Watch investigated three instances of the apparent summary execution of at least 12 Ukrainian soldiers by verifying and analyzing drone footage posted on social media on December 2 and December 27, and on February 25, 2024. In these cases, the soldiers demonstrated a clear intent to surrender and, since they were no longer taking part in hostilities, were considered hors de combat and not targetable under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war.

Human Rights Watch verified the location of two of the three incidents based on the footage, but due to the lack of geographic details in the videos, was unable to determine the exact location of the third. Human Rights Watch was unable to verify which party operated the drone that captured the footage in these cases.

Human Rights Watch investigated a fourth instance by analyzing another video clip posted on social media on February 19 showing two Russian soldiers executing three surrendering and unarmed Ukrainian soldiers. Although the account that posted the clip stated the location of the incident, Human Rights Watch has not been able to verify the location independently.

For the fifth incident, the investigation relied on an interview with a Ukrainian soldier, a video posted to a Telegram channel on February 16, and in-depth media coverage including interviews with family members of one of the victims. The information suggests that six soldiers were executed in the incident, though the circumstances were less clear.

In one of the five incidents, on February 25, verified drone footage shared widely online including on X (formerly known as Twitter) shows at least seven Ukrainian soldiers exiting a dugout among some trees between two fields, removing their body armor, at least one soldier removing their helmet, and all lying face down as five Russian soldiers aim their guns at them. The Russian soldiers are identifiable by distinctive red tape markings around the arms and legs. Three Russian soldiers then shoot toward the clearly surrendered Ukrainian soldiers from behind and both sides.

Six of the Ukrainian soldiers remain face down, visibly reacting to the impact of the shots, while one attempts to reenter the dugout but is shot before he is able to. The incident took place near Ivanivske village in the Donetska region. The location was first verified by EjShahid, a volunteer for GeoConfirmed, and subsequently confirmed by Human Rights Watch researchers.

(More at the link)


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia; Ukraine
KEYWORDS: anotherneoconfail; bidenswarofchoice; fuldamaximus; hrw; humanrightswatch; killkillkillforpeace; mic; murder; psychomaximus; queenofthezeepers; russia; snippymaximus; sorossource; ukesdidittoo; ukiecannonfodder; ukraine; warcrimes; welfarewar; zeepercreepers; zeeperporn; zeepersnosuchthing; zelenskysfolly
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Russia being Russia again.
1 posted on 05/02/2024 10:05:48 AM PDT by MeganC
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To: MeganC

Meanwhile on the US border with Mexico......


2 posted on 05/02/2024 10:09:25 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (A truth that’s told with bad intent, Beats all the lies you can invent ~ Wm. Blake)
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To: MeganC

putin is still evil

May it come back to bite him!


3 posted on 05/02/2024 10:10:29 AM PDT by Sunsong
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To: MeganC
RUAF Advance Further 12 Square Kilometers | AFU Fails To Stabilize The Front

Big Explosions In Odessa | The Defeat Of The Ukrainians Near Arkhanhelske. Military Summary 2024.5.2

4 posted on 05/02/2024 10:11:31 AM PDT by Kazan
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To: MeganC

I’m not qualified to pass judgement because I wasn’t there. What I am qualified to say is that sometimes you can’t take prisoners.


5 posted on 05/02/2024 10:13:17 AM PDT by ComputerGuy (Heavily-medicated for your protection)
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To: MeganC

Sure they did.

Like I am going to believe anything the “Human Rights Watch” is going to say.


6 posted on 05/02/2024 10:14:00 AM PDT by SoConPubbie (Trump has all the right enemies, DeSantis has all the wrong friends.)
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To: MeganC

Remember when the ukrainians killed surrendering russians and the zeepers said “orcs deserved it”?
I do.


7 posted on 05/02/2024 10:14:20 AM PDT by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same. )
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To: MeganC

They’ve found mass graves of civilians in towns the Russians abandoned at the beginning of the war. Why would they abide by the laws of war when it comes to soldiers?


8 posted on 05/02/2024 10:14:32 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: MeganC

Ukraine trying to discourage their troops from not surrendering.


9 posted on 05/02/2024 10:15:15 AM PDT by struggle
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To: MeganC
Missile strikes postal depot in Ukraine's Odesa

😂

Pictures and video posted online showed flames and billowing clouds of smoke engulfing buildings and firefighters training their hoses on areas still ablaze. Most of the loading area appeared to have been reduced to a shell.

10 posted on 05/02/2024 10:18:40 AM PDT by Kazan
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To: Brilliant
They’ve found mass graves of civilians in towns the Russians abandoned at the beginning of the war. Why would they abide by the laws of war when it comes to soldiers?

Were the Ukranians ever in control of those towns?

How do you know it wasn't the Ukranians that weren't the mass murderers in that situation?
11 posted on 05/02/2024 10:20:11 AM PDT by SoConPubbie (Trump has all the right enemies, DeSantis has all the wrong friends.)
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To: struggle
Ukraine trying to discourage their troops from not surrendering.

Russia has been advertising its "Volga" surrender radio-channel to all Ukrainians on the front lines. Its impossible to know real numbers, but basis recent media references, it may be increasingly effective.

So yours is the best explanation, especially given that this war is as much a propaganda war as anything

12 posted on 05/02/2024 10:20:15 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: Darksheare

So do I.


13 posted on 05/02/2024 10:21:46 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Robert DeLong

Amazing how it’s literally the same thing, and somehow I must be appalled by this one but not the other one or I get called a “putin stooge” or told I must secretly be a Russian.
Meanwhile it still somehow costs me money, and we’re stupidly involved in it.


14 posted on 05/02/2024 10:24:42 AM PDT by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same. )
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To: MeganC

They don’t take Azov troops prisoner anymore. The ones they did and released are back on the battlefield. They were informed if they were caught again they would be executed.

It’s standard practice in war. Been that way since we started making rules in war.

Wtfu.


15 posted on 05/02/2024 10:24:58 AM PDT by Dogbert41 (“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” -Matthew 5:9)
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To: PGR88

>So yours is the best explanation, especially given that this war is as much a propaganda war as anything

Yeah, better to surrender, spend a few months in Russia before being released, then to be splattered all over a trench. This is the third Ukrainian mobilization, and many of these people do not want to be there.


16 posted on 05/02/2024 10:25:13 AM PDT by struggle
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To: ComputerGuy

> sometimes you can’t take prisoners. <

A friend of the family served with the US Army in Italy during WW2. During a battle in early 1945 his unit captured a large number of Germans. To escort them all back to a prison camp meant leaving his unit weaker and the flank of the next unit over unguarded.

Those Germans never did make it to a prison camp, if you get my drift.

That story greatly bothers me to this day. Was it a war crime? I would think so. But I wasn’t there. So all I can do is quote Gen. Sherman. War is hell.


17 posted on 05/02/2024 10:27:28 AM PDT by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: MeganC

Ukraine does the same.

Try focusing on something other than that stupid proxy war. You Zeepers are obsessed with it.


18 posted on 05/02/2024 10:27:29 AM PDT by dforest ( )
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To: Brilliant

“ They’ve found mass graves of civilians in towns the Russians abandoned at the beginning of the war. Why would they abide by the laws of war when it comes to soldiers?”
******************************************************

Any corpses of bayoneted Ukrainian babies? Come on, Ukraine and their “advisors” are pretty good at propaganda but surely they can still up their game.


19 posted on 05/02/2024 10:28:11 AM PDT by House Atreides (I’m now ULTRA-MAGA-PRO-MAX)
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To: MeganC

Meanwhile, when thousands of black Christians in Nigeria get slaughtered by Islamist, no one cares.

Why do Ukraine soldiers take higher priority to young Christian girls? Why haven’t you uploaded any articles about that?


20 posted on 05/02/2024 10:31:13 AM PDT by Flavious_Maximus (Tony Fauci will be put on death row and die of COVID!)
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