Kyiv Investigates Alleged Russian Execution of Ukrainian Soldier with Sword Inscribed ‘For Kursk’

Ukrainian authorities have launched a formal investigation into the alleged execution of a Ukrainian soldier by Russian forces, involving a sword inscribed with the phrase “for Kursk.” The soldier’s body was found with the medieval-style sword impaled in his chest, and the scene was captured in a photo circulating online, which shows the man lying on a debris-strewn road, his wrists bound with duct tape.

The inscription on the sword appears to reference Ukraine’s recent incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, marking the first attack on Russian soil since World War II. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin condemned the act as another example of Russian “barbarism” and confirmed that an official criminal investigation is underway.

Kostin’s office suggested the execution took place in Novohrodivka, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, based on initial assessments. Investigators geolocated the incident after the image surfaced online.

Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, has labeled the execution a clear violation of the Geneva Convention, which mandates the humane treatment of prisoners of war. This incident is part of a larger pattern, as Ukraine has been investigating nearly 130,000 alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Reports of executions by Russian troops have grown more frequent, with recent footage showing apparent killings of surrendering Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk. As fighting intensifies in the region, Russia has escalated efforts to repel Ukrainian forces from Kursk, deploying up to 70,000 troops.

Despite Russia’s counteroffensive, Ukraine’s military continues to hold its ground, thwarting numerous Russian attacks around Pokrovsk and Novohrodivka.