Ukraine: Russia executed over 900 prisoners of war, Kyiv says

Ukraine has accused Russia of executing more than 900 of its prisoners of war (PoW) since 2022, calling it a deliberate policy. The exact number of victims is unknown, but a Ukrainian intelligence official told Agence France-Presse they have tracked over 900 military personnel killed in more than 340 separate incidents. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official added this may represent only 25% to 40% of all such cases. Under the Geneva conventions, soldiers are considered prisoners of war from the moment they clearly surrender. A United Nations report from June cited 129 verified executions of Ukrainian PoWs, with the organization warning last year of a "marked increase" in cases. Andriy Atamantchuk, from Ukraine's prosecutor general's office, said Kyiv has opened 116 investigations into the killings of 306 Ukrainian servicemen since 2022. "This stems from a Russian policy that has effectively encouraged and enabled such crimes," he said. Moscow rejects the accusations and did not respond to a request for comment from AFP. In other developments, Russia's transport ministry said it may have to divert cargo away from the Sea of Azov as Ukraine continues to attack Russian shipping there. The commander of Ukraine's drone forces said Tuesday that Ukraine had hit 116 vessels over the past nine days, including tankers and cargo ships. He said the goal is to damage Russia's "shadow fleet" and limit fuel supplies to Moscow-controlled Crimea. Ukraine's military also struck two Russian oil refineries in the Bashkortostan and Krasnodar regions, causing fires at the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat complex and the Afipsky oil refinery. Russian authorities confirmed both fires. In Russian-controlled Crimea, the city of Sevastopol is limiting power supplies after Ukrainian attacks. Local authorities said electricity will be supplied for two hours, followed by six-hour outages. Crimea has already restricted gasoline use due to fuel shortages from Ukrainian strikes on refineries. Ukraine's air defenses shot down five out of eight Russian ballistic missiles and 108 out of 135 drones overnight Tuesday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian attacks damaged 16 sites in Kyiv, including a school and a business, and injured seven people in the eastern Kharkiv region and three in the northern Chernihiv region. He called on European allies to pass their latest sanctions package this week. Kyrgyzstan's government on Tuesday indefinitely banned exports of gasoline, diesel, and oil in response to fuel shortages in Russia, its main fuel supplier. Kyrgyzstan has asked neighbors for help and sought diesel and jet fuel from Belarus and China. Ukrainian troops marched down the Champs-Élysées as part of the Bastille Day parade in Paris, receiving the loudest cheers from the crowd. Ukrainian co-pilots trained in France were on board two French Mirage 2000B fighter jets that flew overhead. Zelenskyy watched as guest of honor alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. Ukraine's prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, formally resigned in parliament on Tuesday as part of a government reshuffle. Parliament is expected to vote for a replacement on Thursday. Opposition lawmakers have called for Zelenskyy to further explain the overhaul.