The Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the killing of five captured Ukrainian soldiers near the village of Kotlyne in the Pokrovsk region, saying they were shot at close range by Russian troops after being taken prisoner on 19 November.
Russian forces have faced repeated accusations of abusing Ukrainian prisoners since the full-scale invasion began, with several executions and beatings documented on video. Kyiv says such incidents point to a pattern of systemic violations inside Russian forces, despite clear protections for captured soldiers outlined under international humanitarian law.
Ukrainian soldiers shot face-down after capture
According to prosecutors, Russian forces captured the group during an assault on Ukrainian positions. The soldiers were unarmed and lying face down when one of the attackers opened fire with an automatic rifle, killing them on the spot. The office said the act qualifies as a war crime under Ukrainian law.
The Security Service of Ukraine is now working to identify the Russian personnel involved and to document the sequence of events. Investigators are gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses to confirm the details released in the initial statement.
Killing prisoners violates the Geneva Conventions and is treated as a grave international crime. Officials said the case will be prepared for further legal action once the full picture is established.
Over 130 illegal POW executions documented in 2024
Ukrainian prosecutors documented over 130 suspected executions of prisoners of war in 2024 alone, marking a sharp escalation in violations across the front. Investigations into the killings have resulted in only two Russian convictions despite hundreds of documented cases since 2022.
A Financial Times investigation concluded that the executions appear to be part of a systematic military policy rather than isolated incidents, with forensic analysis identifying Russian soldiers involved in specific killings.
