Ukraine has accused Russian forces of executing four Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Pokrovka area of Donetsk Oblast during a military assault in November. The case was reported by the General Prosecutor's Office on "Facebook", quoted by "Ukrinform". and News.bg.
On November 22, Russian troops attacked positions of Ukrainian forces near the village of Petrovka. During the attack, four Ukrainian defenders surrendered. According to the Ukrainian authorities, shortly after their capture, Russian soldiers executed them by firing automatic weapons.
Ukraine's prosecutor's office has opened a pre-trial investigation under Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which deals with violations of the laws and customs of war, including deliberate killings. The investigators are collecting evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding the crime and identify the perpetrators.
The General Prosecutor's Office emphasized that the deliberate killing of prisoners of war is a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions and is qualified as an international war crime.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian authorities announced the execution of five more prisoners of war near the same area. This is another case of serious violations for which Kiev blames Moscow.
The UN has already blamed Russia for the deaths of Ukrainian prisoners in Elenovka in 2022, and Ukraine continues to gather evidence of systematic killings of its soldiers in captivity.
Despite repeated reports of such incidents, Russia rejects the accusations. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, defined the information about executions and abuses of captured Ukrainian soldiers as disinformation.
The incidents of prisoner abuse come amid several prisoner-of-war exchanges between Ukraine and Russia. However, incidents such as this highlight the tensions and serious allegations between the two countries regarding compliance with international law and humanitarian principles.