Russian occupants shot 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Pokrovsk sector near the villages of Mykolaivka and Sukhyi Yar. Ukraine has launched an investigation into the violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi
with reference to the Office of the Prosecutor General.
on 1 October, the media spread information about the alleged execution of 16 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war by the enemy. The published video shows how Ukrainian soldiers under the control of the occupier came out of a forest plantation. When the prisoners of war lined up in a row, the Russians deliberately opened fire on them.
“The wounded, who were showing signs of life, were killed at close range with a burst of automatic fire,” the Office reports.
The material emphasises that such actions by the aggressor state are a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualify as a serious international crime.
“This is the largest known case of execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war on the front line. And this is yet another indication that the killing and torture of prisoners is not an accident, but a deliberate policy of the Russian military and political leadership,” said Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.
Measures are currently being taken to verify the published material. Investigative and search activities have been launched to establish all the circumstances of the crime.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets will report this crime to the UN and the ICRC.
“Once again I am fulfilling my mission and as the Ombudsman of Ukraine I am sending letters about another Russian crime to the UN and ICRC! The systematic nature of crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war must be stopped, and those who committed them must be held accountable!” – lubinets wrote.
It should be noted that between 1 December 2023 and 29 February 2024, the Russian occupiers executed 32 Ukrainian prisoners of war.