Ukraine has initiated an investigation into the execution of Ukrainian soldiers by Russian forces near Bakhmut.
This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
According to the prosecution, another war crime was committed by Russians, presumably on Saturday, February 24, in the Donetsk region.
The corresponding video recording was shared on the internet on February 25, 2024.
It is noted that the footage captured Russian forces shooting a group of captured Ukrainian servicemen during the assault on Ukrainian positions between the villages of Ivanivske and Khromove in the Donetsk region.
The exact number of Ukrainians executed by Russians is unknown, but there were likely at least seven. These were servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"On the drone camera recording, it is visible that representatives of the Russian Armed Forces initially order our defenders to come out of the trench. After gathering all the defenders in one place and stepping back several meters, the enemy opens automatic fire on them. The military of the aggressor state deliberately killed wounded and unarmed Ukrainian soldiers, ignoring the norms of international humanitarian law," the Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada, clarified that the video shows Ukrainian soldiers surrendering:
"Their hands were raised, they showed they were unarmed and posed no threat. The Russian military was supposed to take them prisoner, but instead they were shot.
The ombudsman noted that he would send official letters to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross to have these organizations document and publicly acknowledge that Russian military personnel are killing Ukrainian prisoners of war.
In the Prosecutor's Office of Donetsk region, it was reported that law enforcement officers have initiated an investigation into the violation of laws and customs of war combined with intentional killing.
Pre-trial investigations are being conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine investigative departments in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
In total, there are currently 19 criminal cases under investigation in Ukraine regarding the killings of 45 Ukrainian prisoners of war.
