Summary Execution of Ukrainian POWs – War in Ukraine Update for Feb 26

Overview:

• Moscow at war with Ukraine for two years, but you wouldn’t know that from Kremlin-controlled media
• Russians still gaining in Bakhmut sector
• AFU struggling to hold down hard-earned left bank of Dnipro River
• Human Rights observer says AFU’s surrendering soldiers killed by Russian forces

Moscow keeps mum on war’s anniversary

As Kyiv pays tribute to the sacrifices made by Ukrainians throughout the war that has reached its second anniversary, no such news out of Moscow.

As quoted by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian opposition media outlet Agentstvo Novosti reported Sunday that “Russian state TV channels Rossiya 1 and Channel One (Perviy Kanal) and Gazprom Media-owned TV channel NTV did not mention the two-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in broadcasts” over the weekend.

“Agentstvo Novosti stated that Russian political commentator Mikhail Leontev noted in a Feb. 24 broadcast of the ‘Vremya’ (‘Time’) program on Channel One that it was the two-year anniversary of the start of the war but did not offer further statements on the topic,” ISW analysts wrote.

Operations: Bakhmut

Geolocated footage posted on Sunday and flagged by the ISW seems to indicate that Russian forces recently advanced in the Bakhmut sector over the weekend. Specifically, units moved north of Ivanivske (west of Bakhmut) as fighting continued near Ivanivske; northwest of Bakhmut near Bohdanivka; and southwest of Bakhmut near Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Niu-York, and Pivdenne.

According to the ISW, elements of the Russian 177th Naval Infantry Regiment (Caspian Flotilla) are reportedly operating south of Bakhmut.

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Operations: Dnipro River

Images posted online on Sunday and verified by the ISW also show that Moscow’s units are closing in on Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) troops in the village of Krynky, which Ukrainian operatives have been holding down ever since their courageous eastward crossing of the Dnipro River.

The footage indicated that Russian forces marginally advanced along Ostap Vyshnyi Street in Krynky amid heavy fighting around the village often described as “a few rows of fishing homes.”

Moscow’s bloggers would have us believe that Russian forces have entirely recaptured the settlement, but the ISW has seen no evidence of these claims. What the ISW can report is that “Elements of the 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade and the newly formed 337th VDV Regiment (104th VDV Division) are reportedly operating in and near Krynky.”

Human Rights Commissioner says invaders again executed group of Ukrainian POWs

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, posted on social media this weekend that a war crime was committed in the Donetsk region this weekend when Russian troops killed surrendering Ukrainian troops, execution-style. The alleged crime happened in the Bakhmut area, where fighting has been heavy in recent days.

"On the video that we were able to watch we saw that the Ukrainian soldiers were surrendering: they held their hands up and showed they were unarmed, posing no threat. The Russians were supposed to take them captive, but instead, they mercilessly shot them dead,” Lubinets posted.

He said there were about seven Russian soldiers involved in the execution.

Lubinets plans to file “formal letters with the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross with a request to record and publicly admit that the Russian military is killing Ukrainian prisoners of war,” state media Ukrinform said.