16 Ukrainian Prisoners of War Executed by Russian Forces in Pokrovsk

1 October, 2024 The moment of execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Source: Matt SF The Russian invaders committed another war crime by shooting 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Pokrovsk sector.

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported on this. The Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office initiated a pre-trial investigation by the fact of the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). On October 1, 2024, information appeared on Telegram channels speculated about the shooting of 16 Ukrainian POWs by soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces.

According to media reports, another war crime was committed by the Russian invasion army near the villages of Mykolaivka and Sukhyi Yar in the Pokrovsk district.

Illustration photo of the Russian Armed Forces. Photo from open sources

The released video shows how the captured Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen came out of the forest under enemy control. After they lined up, the Russian invaders deliberately opened fire on them.

The wounded, who were showing signs of life, were killed at close range by an automatic weapon. Such actions constitute a cynical and gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualify as serious international crime. "This is the largest known case of execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war on the front line.

And this is another evidence 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.

Servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces. Illustration photo

Measures are currently being taken to verify the published materials. Investigative and detective actions have been initiated to establish all the circumstances of the crime.

On September 24, it was reported that an independent UN international commission of inquiry into violations in Ukraine found new evidence of widespread practice of mass torture of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war by the Russians.

The Russian authorities use torture against Ukrainians either in the temporarily occupied territories or in Russia's territory.