UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Oct 22 —  Russian troops have recently increased the number of systematic executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war with impunity and continue to use chemical weapons in violation of the Geneva Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Ukrainian officials reported on October 21 that Russian troops executed two unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war near Selydove, Donetsk region, on October 18 by shooting them, bound, at point-blank range.

On October 20, a Russian military blogger also posted a video and openly stated that Russian troops were using chlorpicrin (a pesticide that damages the lungs) against Ukrainian troops.

On May 1, the U.S. State Department announced that it had found that Russian troops were using chloropicrin and riot control agents (RCA) in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, signed by Russia.

Ukrainian radiation, chemical, and biological defense reconnaissance groups from the Support Forces Command have documented 4,035 cases of Russian troops using special munitions with hazardous chemicals since February 2023, including 250 cases in September 2024 alone.

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  • Russian troops have advanced in the area near the village of Kolisnykivka in the Kurylivka community, which is 24 miles from the city of Kupiansk, reported the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Kyiv hasn’t confirmed this information as of October 16.