In the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian soldiers shot five Ukrainian prisoners of war. It happened near the settlement of Novodarivka, Pologiv district.
Points of attention
- The occupiers of the Russian Federation shot five Ukrainian prisoners of war near the settlement of Novodarivka, Pologiv district.
- The Zaporizhia Regional Prosecutor's Office has started criminal proceedings on the fact of this crime, classifying it as intentional murder.
- The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of international law and is classified as a grave international crime.
- Over the past year, the Russian military has killed more than 120 Ukrainian prisoners of war, which is an unprecedented crime.
The occupiers executed 5 Ukrainian soldiers in the Zaporizhzhia region
As noted, on November 24, near the settlement of Novodarivka, Pologiv district, in the zone of active hostilities, servicemen of the Russian army shot five of the six Ukrainian defenders who were captured.
Law enforcement officers have established a unit of the Russian army, whose servicemen are being checked for involvement in this crime. The investigators also have a video recording of the moment of the shooting.
The Zaporizhzhia Regional Prosecutor's Office initiated criminal proceedings for violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The Prosecutor General's Office emphasized that the killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a grave international crime.
The Russian military killed more than 120 Ukrainian prisoners of war during the year
This was reported by the head of the Department of Combating Crimes Committed in Conditions of Armed Conflict of the Prosecutor General's Office, Denys Lysenko.
According to him, the rapid increase in cases of murder of Ukrainian defenders during surrender began at the end of 2023 and reached unprecedented proportions this year.
The largest number of crimes was recorded in the Donetsk region — 17 cases, during which 62 prisoners were killed.
We are currently analyzing all these cases, looking for patterns, regularities regarding these atrocities. And now we are already building cases against representatives of the high command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, who, in our opinion, may be involved in the organization of such crimes or in the failure to take measures to stop them and punish the guilty.
