Security Service of Ukraine uncovers Russian unit that used civilians in Pokrovsk as 'human shield'
Illustrative photo: The General Staff updated Russia’s losses over the past 24 hours (Getty Images)
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) documented another war crime committed by the Russian army in the Donetsk region. On November 10, Russian troops used civilians as a "human shield" during an attempt to storm Pokrovsk, according to the press service of the SBU.
It has been preliminarily established that the perpetrators were members of the 1st Motorized Rifle Battalion of the 506th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Russian Federation, which attacked the southeastern outskirts of the city. During the fighting in a residential area, the assault group captured a local man, a woman, and a 13-year-old child.
According to the SBU, Russian forces received orders via radio to use civilians as cover in the event of contact with enemy fire. By using the victims as a "human shield," the Russian soldiers forced them to move ahead during the clearing of buildings in the city.
These actions constitute a gross violation of Article 28 of the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons and qualify as a war crime. Based on the collected evidence, SBU investigators have opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (war crimes).
The investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and identify those responsible. SBU officers are carrying out comprehensive measures in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions under the procedural guidance of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
At the same time, according to the Office of the Prosecutor General, the investigation of the Russian war crime is ongoing.
"Around 2:30 p.m. (Kyiv time), the commander of one of the Russian Armed Forces units, while in communication with subordinates who entered Pokrovsk, gave an order to use civilians as a 'human shield,'" the prosecutor’s office reported.
During the so-called "clearing" of the residential sector, they were to have the detained man, woman, and 13-year-old child move ahead of them, putting them in mortal danger.
Situation near Pokrovsk
The Pokrovsk direction has long been one of the hottest frontlines. Russian troops are attempting to capture the city of Pokrovsk itself.
In particular, we reported that a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group infiltrated the center of Pokrovsk and carried out an attack, resulting in civilian casualties. Ukrainian defenders quickly located and eliminated the saboteurs inside the railway station building.
It is also known that the Russian forces took advantage of adverse weather conditions, including dense fog, to penetrate Pokrovsk. Currently, over 300 invaders are present in the city.
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukrainian defenders continue to defend Pokrovsk. At present, there is no indication that Russian troops have taken control of the city or that the Ukrainian Defense Forces are encircled.
He added that Russian forces are attempting to advance toward the high-rise buildings in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
