Ukraine probes alleged killing of surrendered soldiers by Russian troops
Dec 04, 2023
Kyiv [Ukraine], December 4 : Ukrainian prosecutors are launching an investigation into whether Russian forces executed two Ukrainian service members who had reportedly surrendered, CNN reported.
The inquiry, overseen by the Ukraine prosecutor general's office, comes in the wake of a video shared by the Ukrainian government on social media, depicting the incident near an observation post outside the village of Stepove near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
In a statement, the prosecutor general's office declared, "The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious international crime."
While the Ukrainian military asserted that the footage showcased the execution of two prisoners of war, CNN could not independently verify the video's authenticity.
Russia has faced accusations of numerous crimes since its invasion of Ukraine, despite consistent denials from the Kremlin. Earlier this year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his alleged involvement in a scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia, as reported by CNN.
Ukrainian authorities are actively investigating a considerable number of criminal cases and war crimes, including around 3,000 cases involving children. Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, noted that the killing of unarmed soldiers was "not an isolated case."
On Saturday, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, posted on Telegram that the killing of the unarmed soldiers was "not an isolated case."
A purported video that came to the fore in March appeared to show Russian troops executing a captured Ukrainian soldier, and two videos that emerged the following month on pro-Russian social media seemed to capture on camera Russian troops beheading Ukrainian service members.
Referencing the video, Lubinets expressed confidence that Ukrainian officials would identify the responsible Russian troops.
"I believe that our law enforcement and intelligence agencies will be able to identify the Russian servicemen who committed this crime," CNN quoted Lubinets as saying.
