Russians reportedly execute 16 Ukrainian POWs from two units in Donbas

The Russians have reportedly executed 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war on the Pokrovsk front from two units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Yurii Bielousov, head of the War Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, as per UkrInform.

On 1 October 2024, numerous reports surfaced on social media on the alleged execution of 16 Ukrainian soldiers by Russian armed forces.

The released video showed Ukrainian soldiers, captured by the enemy, emerging from a forest under Russian control. After being lined up, the occupiers deliberately opened fire, shooting the Ukrainian POWs. Those who showed signs of life were executed at close range with automatic gunfire.

“As of now, we know that soldiers from two units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine may have been killed. We have the unit numbers and have preliminarily identified the soldiers. However, we are verifying this information out of respect for their families to avoid any mistakes in identifying them,” Bielousov stated.

According to him, Ukrainian investigators have data on the exact location of the execution and which unit of the Russian armed forces may be responsible for the crime.

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have sent inquiries to military units, intelligence services, and international partners to gather as much information as possible regarding this atrocity.

The Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has initiated a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine into violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder by Russian troops.

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