Russian soldier charged with war crime for killing civilian in Ukraine
Russian soldier charged with war crime for killing civilian in Ukraine (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
A Russian soldier who, along with other Russian forces, shot up a civilian vehicle and killed an unarmed resident in Ukraine's Kyiv region in March 2022, has been charged with committing a war crime, according to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine.
"A serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces has been charged with violating the laws and customs of war (Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)," the statement reads.
According to the investigation, in March 2022, during the temporary control of parts of Kyiv region by Russian forces, a mechanic-driver from the 2nd crew of a tank company within the 212th District Training Center for Tank Troops of Russia's Eastern Military District shot and killed a civilian. The crime took place near the village of Mylа in the Bucha district, along the Kyiv-Chop highway.
While positioned near gas stations along the highway, the soldier and other members of the Russian armed forces opened fire with assault rifles at a civilian vehicle traveling from Kyiv toward Zhytomyr. The car was hit with at least 63 rounds.
After the vehicle was riddled with bullets, the suspect approached to check who was inside. Upon seeing a severely wounded civilian man in the driver's seat, the Russian soldier shot him in the head multiple times, killing him.
Prosecutors added that evidence is still being collected regarding the involvement of other Russian servicemen in the war crime. Authorities are also working to identify the suspect's accomplices.
Russian forces executing Ukrainian prisoners of war
Russian troops have been systematically killing not only civilians but also prisoners of war. According to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, 109 executions of Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces were officially confirmed in 2024.
In total, 177 cases of Ukrainian defenders being killed by Russian troops have been documented. According to media reports citing sources within Ukraine's military and intelligence community, the killing of POWs is not a series of isolated incidents — it is part of a deliberate Russian tactic.
