NewsUkrainian prosecutor investigates alleged execution of POWs by Russians

Ukrainian prosecutor investigates alleged execution of POWs by Russians

Ukrainian soldiers on the front line
Ukrainian soldiers on the front line
Images source: © Getty Images | 2024 Anadolu
Anna Wajs-Wiejacka

2 October 2024 06:12

One of the Telegram channels has released a shocking video showing the execution of 16 Ukrainian soldiers by the Russian army. The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has launched an investigation. If the information is confirmed, it will be "the most massive known case of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war."

As reported by censor.net, the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office has initiated a pre-trial investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as premeditated murder. Information about the alleged Russian war crime spread in the media on October 1, 2024.

Media reports indicate that another potential war crime committed by the Russians occurred near the villages of Mykolaivka and Suchy Jar. The published video shows captured soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine leaving a plantation. When they lined up, the Russians deliberately opened fire on them.

"This is a deliberate policy of the Russians"

The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine emphasizes that the actions visible in the recording are "cynical and blatant violations of the Geneva Conventions," which allows them to be classified as serious international crimes.

This is the most massive known case of execution of Ukrainian POWs on the front line. The murders and torture of prisoners are not an accident, but a purposeful policy of the Russian military and political leadership — emphasized Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.

The Ukrainian prosecutor's office is verifying whether the recording posted on one of the Telegram channels is authentic. Investigative and search activities have also been undertaken to determine all the circumstances of the crime.