Russian commanders give orders to shoot Ukrainian POWs - Prosecutor
Russian commanders give orders to shoot Ukrainian POWs (Getty Images)
Russian commanders have been issuing direct orders for the execution of Ukrainian prisoners. Recent incidents of killings serve as compelling evidence of this grim reality, according to the head of the Department of the Prosecutor General's Office for Combating Crimes Committed in Armed Conflict.
"Since late November of last year, the number of such cases has been increasing. This indicates support from the higher echelons of the Russian Armed Forces. If it were an isolated incident, it would be the actions of an individual soldier. In this case, considering the geography and frequency of such incidents in recent times, it is undoubtedly supported by higher authorities," he said.
He noted that occupant commanders not only fail to prevent such practices but likely endorse them to the fullest extent. "And most likely, they issue direct orders to carry out such actions," the prosecutor added.
Execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war
Russian forces reportedly executed six Ukrainian soldiers while they were leaving their position in Avdiivka. Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN to investigate the circumstances surrounding the soldiers' shooting during their withdrawal from Avdiivka.
Furthermore, Russian occupiers shot Ukrainian prisoners of war between the villages of Ivanivske and Khromove in the Donetsk region. An investigation into this incident has been initiated.
