International humanitarian law prohibits the execution of prisoners of war and the wounded, and regards it as a war crime.

Since the end of August, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine recorded 79 executions of Ukrainian POWs by Russian troops in 24 separate incidents, according to its recent report. View on

Many Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered or were in physical custody of the Russian armed forces were shot dead on the spot,” a monitoring mission says.

Russian armed forces have executed at least 79 captured Ukrainian soldiers since the end of August, a UN body reports, saying the total represents an "alarming rise." Killing prisoners of war and wounded troops is regarded as a war crime under international humanitarian law.

The United Nations on Monday warned that Russian troops have been increasingly killing captured Ukrainian soldiers over recent months, echoing growing allegations from officials in Kyiv. The UN monitoring mission in Ukraine said that,