Occupiers shot 16 Ukrainian POWs in Pokrovsk direction: law enforcement launches investigation
Telegram channels reported the alleged shooting of 16 Ukrainian servicemen by the Russian army. The Prosecutor General's Office has launched investigative and search operations.
This was reported by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office, Censor.NET informs.
Under the procedural guidance of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation was launched into 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, Telegram channels published information about the alleged shooting of 16 Ukrainian servicemen by representatives of the Russian Armed Forces. According to media reports, the Russian occupation army committed another war crime near the villages of Mykolayivka and Sukhyi Yar, Pokrovsk district.
The released video shows how the captured Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen came out of the forest plantation under enemy control. After they lined up in a line, the occupiers deliberately opened fire on them. The wounded, who were showing signs of life, were killed at close range with an automatic weapon," the statement said.
Such actions are a cynical and 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 evidence that the murder and torture of prisoners is not an accident, but a deliberate policy of the Russian military and political leadership," said Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin.
Measures are currently being taken to verify the published material. Investigative and search actions have been launched to establish all the circumstances of the crime.
The pre-trial investigation is carried out by the SSU Main Directorate in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Earlier, Censor.NET reported that the occupiers shot 16 Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered in the Pokrovsk direction.
