UN accuses Ukraine and Russia of "extrajudicial" executions of prisoners

The United Nations has accused Ukrainian and Russian forces of carrying out dozens of extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war during the Russian attack on Ukraine, as the execution of dozens of captured soldiers was documented, while the International Criminal Court signed an agreement to establish an office in Ukraine.

On Friday, the United Nations accused Ukrainian and Russian forces of carrying out dozens of extrajudicial executions of prisoners of war during the Russian attack on Ukraine.

The head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, said she and her organization had documented the killing of "25 Russian prisoners of war" by Ukrainian armed forces.

It added that "the execution of 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war was also documented shortly after they were captured by Russian forces."

In a related context, the International Criminal Court signed an agreement with the Ukrainian authorities on Thursday to establish an office for it in the country, according to the authority that issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.

"It's just the beginning, and it's a good start," Ukrainian Attorney General Andriy Kostin said of the agreement, which he signed on behalf of his country at the court's headquarters in The Hague.

He added in a statement: "I am convinced that we will not stop until all perpetrators of international crimes committed in Ukraine are brought to justice (...) regardless of their political or military position."

He welcomed the "historic" decision by the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Putin on charges of illegally "deporting" Ukrainian children.