KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine's human rights ombudsman on Sunday called on international organizations to respond to claims that several Ukrainian prisoners of war were executed in Russia's Kursk region, where Kiev launched an invasion in August. .
Deep State, a Ukrainian battlefield analysis site close to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, announced that Russian forces shot dead nine Ukrainian “drone operators and contractors” who surrendered on October 10.
Dmytro Rubinets wrote on Telegram to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the allegations, calling it “another crime committed by the Russians.”
Earlier this month, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office announced that it had killed 16 Ukrainian soldiers captured in the partially occupied Donetsk region by Russian forces.
There was no immediate reaction from Russian authorities.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force announced on Sunday that its air defense forces had shot down 31 of the 68 drones launched by Russia towards Ukraine in the Kiev, Poltava, Chernihiv, Sumy and Cherkasy regions overnight into Sunday. . It said an additional 36 drones were “missing” in various regions, likely suffering from electronic jamming.
The Air Force added that ballistic missiles hit Odesa and Poltava, and Chernihiv and Sumy were hit by guided air missiles. Local authorities reported no casualties or damage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Russia had launched about 900 guided airstrikes, more than 40 missiles and 400 drones against Ukraine in the past week.
On social platform X, President Zelensky appealed to Ukraine's allies to “provide the necessary quantity and quality of air defense systems” and “take decisions to ensure sufficient range.” Kiev is still awaiting word on repeated requests from its Western partners to use the long-range weapons it provides to attack targets inside Russian territory.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that 13 Ukrainian drones were shot down in three Russian regions. Six aircraft each were in Belgorod and Kursk oblasts, and one in Bryansk oblast, both of which border Ukraine.
