Largest mass execution: Russian military shoot 16 Ukrainian POWs in Pokrovsk direction
Photo: Andrii Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russian military executed 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war in the Pokrovsk direction. This is the largest mass execution case since the beginning of the war, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General on Telegram and the Ukrainian Parliament's Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, on Telegram.
The Prosecutor General's Office drew attention to information that surfaced online today, October 1, about the possible execution of 16 Ukrainian soldiers by the Russian military. According to unconfirmed reports, the war crime took place near the villages of Mykolaivka and Sukhyi Yar in the Pokrovsk district.
"The published video shows Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, who had been captured, emerging from a wooded area under enemy control. After they lined up, the occupiers deliberately opened fire on them," law enforcement officials said.
After this, the Russian military executed those who were still showing signs of life at close range.
These actions violate the Geneva Conventions and are classified as a grave international crime.
"This is the largest known execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war on the front line. It is further evidence that the killing and torture of prisoners are not isolated incidents but a deliberate policy of the Russian military and political leadership," Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said.
A pre-trial investigation has been launched into the violation of the laws and customs of war related to intentional killing.
Law enforcement is currently verifying the published video. Investigative and search activities are underway to establish all the circumstances of the crime.
In response, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that he had already sent letters to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding this crime by the Russian forces.
"The systematic crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war must be stopped, and those responsible must be held accountable," he added.
What preceded
Unfortunately, executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces are not uncommon. Recently, brutal videos of such incidents have been regularly appearing online.
For example, in early September, a video was posted on Telegram showing the Russian military executing three Ukrainian prisoners. The Ukrainian soldiers were coming out of a basement with their hands raised, and the Russian soldiers forced them face down on the ground and shot them.
