Ukraine has received 1,000 bodies from Russia, which claims are fallen Ukrainian soldiers, as part of ongoing prisoner exchanges and repatriation efforts following recent peace talks. Ukraine plans to identify the bodies through investigations, amid accusations that Russia has attempted to pass off its own soldiers' bodies as Ukrainian to hide losses. The exchange is part of broader negotiations and military exchanges between the two countries.
Photos of recently released Ukrainian prisoners of war, including Roman Gorilyk, reveal severe emaciation and poor health conditions after two years in Russian captivity. Ukrainian authorities liken their treatment to Nazi concentration camps, accusing Russia of violating international human rights agreements and the Geneva Conventions. The Ukrainian government reports that almost all released prisoners suffer from weight loss, sores, and untreated injuries.
Hundreds of Ukrainian troops are feared captured or missing during the chaotic retreat from the eastern city of Avdiivka, dealing a blow to morale and highlighting the impact of dwindling military supplies. The loss of Avdiivka is seen as a significant symbolic defeat for Ukrainian troops, with estimates suggesting that 850 to 1,000 soldiers may have been captured or are unaccounted for. The capture of soldiers could exacerbate Ukraine's struggle with recruitment and the need for more troops, complicating efforts to solidify new defensive lines. The chaotic retreat, ill-planned and executed too late, resulted in soldiers being captured, killed, and wounded, with unverified videos showing Russian forces executing Ukrainian troops.
The Security Service of Ukraine, with the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, has initiated a pre-trial investigation into the executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Avdiivka and Vesele, following reports and video evidence of the killings. The investigation is focused on violations of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder, and is being conducted in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Russia claims a downed military plane carried 65 Ukrainian POWs, but Ukraine says Russia has not provided evidence of their presence and is blocking an international investigation. Ukrainian officials reject Russia's request for DNA samples from POWs' relatives and have not seen proof of their deaths. Russia accuses Ukraine of shooting down the plane, but has not provided substantial evidence. The situation remains murky, with both sides trading blame and little clarity on the fate of the alleged POWs.
Russia claims it warned Ukraine 15 minutes before a Russian military transport plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war was shot down, killing all 74 people on board, including 65 captured Ukrainian soldiers en route to be swapped for Russian POWs. Ukraine has demanded an international investigation, while conflicting narratives from both sides continue to emerge. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy called for an international investigation, echoing an appeal by Ukraine’s ombudsman, as Russia has sole access to the crash site and has framed the incident as a Ukrainian "terrorist act."
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to exchange prisoners of war and work towards signing a peace treaty, marking a major step towards peace in the long-troubled region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The two countries aim to normalize relations and achieve a peace treaty based on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. As part of the deal, Armenia will lift its objections to Azerbaijan hosting next year's international conference on climate change. European Council President Charles Michel praised the agreement and called for a swift finalization of a peace deal.
Russia is reportedly sending Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) to fight on Moscow's side in the war, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. The POWs allegedly swore allegiance to Russia and joined a battalion that entered service last month. The authenticity of the report and videos released by the news agency, as well as the coercion of the POWs, could not be immediately confirmed. Experts argue that such actions would violate the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit POWs from being exposed to combat or dangerous conditions. Russia has previously used inmates from its own prisons to fight in Ukraine, and it is also attempting to bolster its forces through a conscription campaign in occupied regions.
Hamas has claimed to have captured "dozens" of Israeli soldiers, including officers, and civilians during a surprise attack on Southern Israel. The captives are reportedly being held in "safe places" and militant tunnels, potentially setting the stage for prisoner swap negotiations. Israeli civilians and soldiers have been taken captive, including elderly women with dementia and workers from Thailand and the Philippines. The attack has escalated military tension between Israel and Palestine, with devastating attacks from both sides resulting in numerous casualties.
The United Nations has rejected Russian claims that a rocket attack on a Ukrainian prisoner of war camp in July 2022 was carried out by Ukraine, confirming the findings of a CNN investigation. More than 50 Ukrainian prisoners were killed in the strike, and while experts could not definitively determine the cause, they concluded that the Russian version of events, blaming a Ukrainian HIMARS rocket, was likely a fabrication. The UN Human Rights Commissioner stated that the available evidence does not support the Russian narrative and called for the truth to be known and those responsible to be held accountable.
The UN human rights chief has called for accountability for the deaths of at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war in a Donetsk region detention facility last year, rejecting Russia's claim that they were killed by a rocket. The UN rights body, which has conducted extensive interviews with survivors and analyzed additional information, stated that the explosion was not caused by a HIMARS rocket as claimed by Russia. Russia has not granted requests for access to parts of Ukraine under its control, hindering investigations into the incident. The UN has previously accused both Russia and Ukraine of mistreating prisoners of war during the conflict.
The Ukrainian defense forces are engaging in battles on the southern and northern flanks around the city of Bakhmut, but there is currently no intensive urban warfare in the city itself. The Ukrainian forces have seized the initiative on the battlefield, forcing the Russian invaders to withdraw some units. They are employing modern tactics and technology, such as unmanned aerial vehicles and high-precision systems, to press the enemy without incurring large personnel losses. The Ukrainian forces have also captured numerous prisoners of war, who were found to be motivated by financial gain rather than ideology. However, the Russian forces still retain their combat capability and ability to attack Ukrainian positions.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has confirmed that hundreds of missing Ukrainians are being held in Russian captivity, according to Oleksandr Vlasenko, the spokesman for ICRC in Ukraine. The information was received from the Russian National Information Bureau. The ICRC can only demand access to a person after their status as a prisoner of war is confirmed, and they have no coercive tools to apply. Public organizations claim that over 10,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war are held in Russian prisons.
Hungary's "covert" handover of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) to Russia has caused frustration and confusion among Ukrainian officials, who accuse Budapest of contravening international law and furthering Kremlin war aims. All of the POWs are said to be ethnic Hungarians, a minority of around 100,000 people in western Ukraine that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban frequently invoked to criticize Ukrainian policies. The European Union has urged the Hungarian side to explain what happened, how it happened, and who orchestrated the June 8 transfer.
The arrival of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war in Hungary, freed by Russia, has caused a diplomatic row between Kyiv and Budapest. The soldiers, all ethnic Hungarians, were released into Hungary, but Ukraine claims that some are still being held in isolation. The two countries have had strained relations throughout the war, with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban being the only EU leader to maintain relations with Russia's Vladimir Putin. The lack of information surrounding the release of the soldiers can be explained by the fact that both foreign ministries were kept in the dark, and the key to their rescue was the personal friendship between the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and Hungary's Deputy Prime Minister.
