ISW: Russian milbloggers glorify execution of Ukrainian POWs, frame them as acceptable warfare
Popular Russian military bloggers, some with millions of followers including soldiers, are actively promoting the execution of Ukrainian POWs. This rhetoric, amplified by Kremlin-affiliated channels, risks normalizing war crimes among Russian forces.
Prominent Russian military bloggers have largely praised and justified the recent execution of nine Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Kursk Oblast, which reinforces a cultural norm within the Russian ultranationalist community that condones and celebrates war crimes, according to The Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
This comes after, on 10 October, the Ukrainian drone operators spotted how Russian forces disarmed, lined, stripped, and shot the Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, seriously violating the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of POWs.
A significant surge in executions of Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces in 2024 suggests a possible shift in Russian policy that endorses this behaviour. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Yuriy Belousov, reported that 80% of the 93 documented POW executions have occurred this year.
ISW notes that many influential milbloggers with large followings have not only justified the executions but called for more such actions throughout the war zone. Some bloggers claimed the executions were deserved or portrayed them as a normal aspect of warfare.
“This glorification underscores a broader culture that is likely encouraging the systemic execution of Ukrainian POWs,” ISW argues.
The report highlights several high-profile milbloggers who endorsed the 10 October executions. These include the Rybar Telegram channel, which has approximately 1.3 million subscribers and has received awards from the Kremlin. Rybar’s founder, Mikhail Zvinchuk, is a regular commentator on Russian state television discussing the war in Ukraine.
Other prominent channels mentioned include RVvoenkor (1.62 million subscribers), Dva Mayora (1.17 million), Starshe Edy (627,000), and Zapisky Veterana (357,000). ISW points out that many subscribers to these channels are Russian military personnel and volunteers currently engaged in the war.
This glorification of atrocities is not new, because Russian milbloggers have often glorified Russian atrocities and brutality in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.
ISW emphasizes the potential impact of these influential voices, noting that many of these bloggers have Kremlin affiliations, which lends them authority in shaping cultural norms within the Russian ultranationalist community. The report suggests that the widespread endorsement of such actions by these influential figures could be normalizing and encouraging further war crimes.
On 1 October, Russian forces executed 16 Ukrainian POWs in the Pokrovsk sector of Donetsk Oblast. Video evidence, reportedly from Ukrainian drone footage, shows Russian troops lining up the prisoners and deliberately opening fire, with survivors executed at close range.
Ukraine has restricted the phone call privileges of Russian POWs in response to Russia’s execution of Ukrainian prisoners. While Russian POWs can still send letters home, the restriction aims to address the mistreatment and torture of Ukrainian POWs in Russian custody. This policy shift follows increasing evidence of Russian forces executing and torturing Ukrainian POWs.
Related:
- Russians escalate executions of Ukrainian POWs
- Surge in executions of Ukrainian POWs potentially link to changed Russian policy
- Ukraine probes execution of 16 POWs by Russian troops in Pokrovsk sector
- Video of ISIS-style execution of Ukrainian POW shared by Russian TG channels
