All articles tagged with #pows
Two North Korean prisoners of war held by Ukraine have expressed their desire to start a new life in South Korea, thanking the South Korean people and indicating their wish to defect, amid concerns over their safety and the potential threat of repatriation to North Korea.
The United Nations reported that Ukrainian prisoners of war are being executed by Russian captors at an alarming rate, with 32 POWs executed in the past three months, along with widespread torture, ill-treatment, and dire conditions of detention. The report also details violence against Ukrainian civilians in areas occupied by Russia, as well as criticism of Kyiv for contravening International Humanitarian Law. The U.N.'s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine also concluded that Russia committed human rights violations and war crimes during its invasion in 2022.
A UN report has accused Russia of executing Ukrainian prisoners of war, labeling the act as a war crime. The report alleges that at least 286 Ukrainian POWs were killed by Russian forces, with evidence pointing to their bodies being found in areas previously under Russian control. This revelation adds to the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, further highlighting the severity of the conflict and the human rights violations occurring within it.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General has launched an investigation into two incidents of Russian troops shooting Ukrainian prisoners of war in Avdiivka and near the village of Vesele, both in the Donetsk region. The videos show the execution of captured Ukrainian soldiers, which is a violation of the Geneva Convention. The soldiers were reportedly seriously injured and awaiting evacuation when they were killed. This adds to a series of previous incidents where Russian troops are seen shooting Ukrainian soldiers who have surrendered.
Russia has refused to hand over the bodies of prisoners of war to Ukraine, claiming they were killed in the downing of a Russian military transport plane by Ukrainian forces. Western intelligence assessments suggest the plane was shot down by a missile from Ukraine, but the presence of POWs on board remains unconfirmed. President Putin insists on an international inquiry, while Russia's Investigative Committee claims the plane was brought down by a U.S.-made Patriot air defense system supplied to Ukraine by Western allies. The conflict continues with Russian strikes in Ukraine, including a drone attack in President Zelenskyy's hometown and an airstrike in Kherson.
Russian President Putin accuses Kyiv of downing a Russian military plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, escalating tensions between the two countries.
Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a blame game over the downing of a Russian military plane, with Moscow claiming it was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war and Kyiv alleging Russian disinformation. Ukraine has not confirmed the presence of POWs or its involvement in the plane's downing, but President Zelensky has emphasized Ukraine's right to target Russian military aircraft amid ongoing conflict. Both countries have called for an international investigation, while Ukraine's military intelligence directorate confirmed that a planned prisoner exchange did not occur and accused Russia of spreading fake information to discredit Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia conducted their largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the conflict, with nearly 500 POWs being swapped with the help of UAE mediation. Ukrainian officials reported 230 of their service members were returned, while Russia claimed 248 of its POWs were released. The exchange included Ukrainian defenders from key locations such as Azovstal and Snake Island. Despite this rare act of cooperation, the conflict continues with intense trench warfare and recent Russian drone and missile strikes causing significant casualties and damage in Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia conducted their first prisoner of war exchange in nearly five months, with over 200 individuals freed by each side. The swap, which involved 248 Russian military personnel and 230 Ukrainians, including 224 soldiers and six civilians, was facilitated by mediation from the United Arab Emirates. This exchange is part of ongoing efforts between Kyiv and Moscow, despite the absence of dialogue to end the war, and represents the largest documented swap to date.
Ukraine and Russia have conducted what is said to be the largest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the conflict, with Ukraine freeing 248 Russian prisoners in return for 230 of its own, including soldiers and civilians. The swap was mediated by the United Arab Emirates and marks a significant event amidst ongoing tensions and previous allegations of torture against Ukrainian POWs. Both sides have acknowledged the exchange, with Ukrainian President Zelensky announcing the return of their nationals and Russia describing the negotiations as "difficult."
The group of Russian soldiers who were seen executing two Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Donetsk Oblast has been confirmed dead by the Ukrainian military. The incident, which violated the Geneva Convention and constituted a war crime, sparked an investigation by the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office. The killing of the POWs further escalated tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Ukraine's parliament condemning Russia as a terrorist country that disregards international law.
Three former Ukrainian POWs, all women, describe their experiences in Russian captivity, including torture, rape, and mock executions. The women were held for six months before being released in a prisoner exchange negotiated by Ukraine's chief of staff. The U.N. has collected testimony from over 150 former prisoners, detailing executions, starvation, and attacks by dogs. An estimated 4,000 Ukrainian POWs remain in Russian captivity.
Pro-Ukrainian armed groups have launched cross-border attacks from Ukraine into southern Russia, taking Russian prisoners of war. The governor of the besieged Belgorod region has offered to negotiate with the armed groups to retrieve the prisoners. Russia has claimed to have repelled a "sabotage group of Ukrainian terrorists" seeking to cross the frontier near the settlement. The attacks on the Belgorod region come as Kyiv says it is preparing a major counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Two surviving Vietnam War POWs, Staff Sgt. Ken Wallingford and Capt. Mark Smith, recount their experiences of being held captive by the North Vietnamese forces in 1972. Wallingford spent 10 months in a bamboo enclosure, while Smith was held in a "hell hole" in the ground. They were eventually released in 1973 after the US bombed Hanoi and nearby Haiphong. The POWs credit President Richard Nixon for ending the war and getting them home.
Australian explorers, together with Dutch deep-sea survey specialists Fugro and Australia’s Defense Department, have found the sunken Japanese ship Montevideo Maru, which was transporting Allied prisoners of war when it was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines in 1942, resulting in Australia’s largest maritime wartime loss with a total of 1,080 lives. The wreck was located after a 12-day search at a depth of over 4,000 meters off Luzon island in the South China Sea. The ship was not marked as carrying POWs, and those killed included 1,080 people from 14 nations, including 979 Australians.