Office of the Prosecutor General: Russians executed 54 Ukrainian POWs

The Office of the Prosecutor General is investigating 27 criminal proceedings over the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian soldiers. It is currently reported that the Russian invaders killed 54 Ukrainian defenders during the fighting. Yuriy Belousov, Head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed During Armed Conflict, spoke about this on the Suspilne TV channel.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, cases of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russians have been recorded since March 2022. A Ukrainian court has already sentenced the first Russian soldier for the execution of a Ukrainian defender in the Chernihiv region. "In general, the investigation [of such crimes] is complicated by the fact that prosecutors and investigators usually do not have access to the crime scene or the opportunity to examine the body," Belousov explained.

However, as Belousov assured, this work is underway. According to him, Ukraine has a unique experience in documenting crimes even without access to the territory. Commenting on the video posted on social media on April 7, the Office of the Prosecutor General official preliminarily confirmed that the Russian soldiers committed a war crime near Krynky in the Kherson region, but he said the details are still being checked.

Belousov urged to remember the loved ones and not to voice the names of the fallen soldiers prematurely. "Regarding this fact and the previous ones, we are also working on the command that is responsible for such actions.

It regards not only unit commanders but also the highest military and political leadership. Because this is not an isolated case, but evidence of Russian policy," he said. To document Russian war crimes, the Office of the Prosecutor General also works with the International Criminal Court, the UN Monitoring Mission, intelligence agencies, and non-governmental organizations that also collect information.

March 2024.

Photo credits: SSU

In March of this year, the Security Service of Ukraine served a notice of suspicion to a captured Russian invader of shooting a Ukrainian prisoner of war in the Zaporizhzhia region.