**Russia Accused of Executing Ukrainian POWs**
Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has reacted to a video showing Russian troops allegedly executing five captured Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). The drone footage was released by the 110th Mechanized Brigade on December 22.
According to Lubinets, the video shows how Russian soldiers shot and killed five surrendered Ukrainian defenders. Ivan Sekach, a press officer with the 110th Brigade, said that four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in cold blood by Russian troops after being surrounded in eastern Donetsk Oblast.
This is not the first time such an incident has been reported. In February, six Ukrainian soldiers were shot dead by Russian troops while they were withdrawing from the city of Avdiivka. The 110th Brigade confirmed that five soldiers were killed and one was missing.
Yurii Belousov, a Ukrainian official focused on war-related crimes, said in October that there are over 100 reported cases of executed Ukrainian POWs since the start of the full-scale war.
**Ukraine Denounces Russian Aggression**
Lubinets has vowed to report this latest incident to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to seek justice. This move comes as Ukraine’s Air Force reported shooting down 52 attack drones launched by Russia overnight, including the Shahed type.
Russia has also been accused of executing Ukrainian soldiers in other incidents. The General Staff of Ukraine‘s Armed Forces reported that Russian forces suffered over 1,800 casualties just over the past day.
**War Toll Mounts**
The war toll continues to mount, with over 20,000 deaths confirmed over the past 12 months. According to the United Nations, over 12,340 civilians were killed and more than 27,836 were wounded in Ukraine between February 24, 2022, and November 30, 2024.
**Other Developments**
In other news, Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to retain his unified heavyweight championship title.
A car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20, claiming five lives and leaving over 200 people injured.