Moscow has executed more than 150 prisoners of war after they surrendered to Russian forces, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has said.
The United Nations also reported in March that they had documented increasing numbers of cases in which Russian forces deliberately killed soldiers, while intelligence officials have cited multiple instances of Putin’s forces receiving direct orders to kill.
The statement comes shortly after a large-scale prisoner swap commenced between Ukraine and Russia, which saw 800 prisoners released on Friday and a further 600 released on Saturday.
Meanwhile, at least 15 people were injured after Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital Kyiv early today with drones and missiles, triggering fires and strewing debris in districts throughout the city, the city’s mayor said.
The overnight strikes come after several days of some 800 attacks on targets inside Russia, including capital Moscow. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov vowed yesterday to respond to those attacks.
The Ukrainian president renewed calls for global pressure on Moscow for a ceasefire after 390 prisoners were returned to Ukraine yesterday, with more to follow over the weekend in the “thousand for a thousand” war swap. The swap took place at the border with Belarus in northern Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official.
