Russian troops execute Ukrainian captives in Pokrovsk- Prosecutor’s Office

Source: Prosecutor General’s Office

On October 21, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said they are launching an investigation into the alleged execution of two captured Ukrainian soldiers by Russian troops near the town of Selydove.

According to intelligence reports, the Russian military unit took captive two Ukrainian servicemen in the Pokrovsk area. Conducting an assault in a wooded area near Selydove, they allegedly placed the unarmed prisoners face down on the ground. Stamping on the POWs’ backs they soon shot them with automatic weapons.

The prosecutor’s office said that killing prisoners of war constitutes a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a serious international crime.

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies now have evidence about executions of at least 102 Ukrainian prisoners of war  on the battlefield.

On October 13, reports emerged that nine additional Ukrainian soldiers, who had surrendered, were executed near the village of Zeleny Shlyakh in the Kursk region. Analysts argue that the execution took place on October 10.

Details of the incident are still under investigation, but the key details show that the Ukrainian soldiers approached the positions, believing they were located behind enemy lines.  They had to surrender after they found they could on fight with limited ammunition.