Russian forces execute unarmed Ukrainian POW in Donetsk region: Investigation launched
Illustrative photo: Russian forces executed an unarmed Ukrainian POW in Donetsk region (Getty Images)
The Russian military executed a Ukrainian prisoner of war near the village of Rozdolne, Volnovakha district, Donetsk region, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, on April 11, 2025, three Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were carrying out combat missions at a position near the village of Rozdolne in the Volnovakha district. During the assault operations, the Russian military captured them. One of the unarmed Ukrainian soldiers was executed with automatic weapons by members of the aggressor state's army.
Investigative and search activities are currently underway to establish all the circumstances of the incident, as well as to identify those involved in committing the crime among Russian military personnel.
Under the procedural guidance of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation has been launched into a criminal case on the commission of a war crime that led to a person's death (Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
"The killing of prisoners is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a grave international crime. The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk regions," the statement said.
Lubinets' reaction
The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, also responded to the execution of the Ukrainian prisoner of war.
“I emphasize that this is a violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the norms of international humanitarian law, and constitutes a grave international crime! I have already sent letters to the UN and the ICRC. The actions and response of the international community must take place here and now,” Lubinets wrote.
He stressed that Russia’s crimes must be documented and those responsible must be held accountable.
Executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war
According to the Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, last year, the execution of 109 Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces was officially confirmed. In the previous years, a total of 177 cases of killings of Ukrainian servicemen by Russian troops were recorded.
In February of this year, a video surfaced online showing the execution of Ukrainian soldiers who had been captured by Russian forces in the Kursk region. The footage shows an occupier shooting a Ukrainian POW in the head.
In early March, Lubinets reported that the Russian military had likely killed at least five unarmed Ukrainian soldiers who had been taken captive.
