Ukraine probes alleged Russian troops' involvement in killing surrendering soldiers
Ukraine probes alleged killing of Ukrainian soldiers by Russian troops following their surrender, prompting an investigation by Ukrainian prosecutors
Ukrainian prosecutors are currently looking into whether Russian soldiers killed two Ukrainian service members who had surrendered. The investigation is being supervised by the Ukraine prosecutor general's office and was launched following the release of a video of the incident by the Ukrainian government on social media. The incident occurred near an observation post outside the village of Stepove near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, according to a statement from the office.
The statement declared that the killing of prisoners of war is a severe breach of the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a grave international offense.
On Saturday, the Ukrainian military announced that the footage depicted the execution of two prisoners of war. CNN was unable to independently confirm the video's authenticity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers his nightly address on Monday.
Office of the Ukrainian Presidency
Zelensky vows justice after video appears to show Ukrainian soldiers execution
Russia has faced numerous accusations of committing crimes after its invasion of Ukraine, with the Kremlin denying any wrongdoing. Recently, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging his involvement in a plan to deport Ukrainian children to Russia. Ukrainian officials are also conducting investigations into a significant number of criminal cases, including 3,000 related to war crimes and children.
Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, stated on Telegram on Saturday that the killing of unarmed soldiers is not an isolated incident. In March, a video surfaced that appeared to show Russian troops executing a captured Ukrainian soldier, and the following month, two videos on pro-Russian social media seemed to capture Russian troops beheading Ukrainian service members on camera.
Lubinets expressed confidence that Ukrainian officials would be able to uncover the Russian troops responsible for the incident. "I have faith in our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to identify the Russian servicemen behind this act," Lubintes stated.
CNNs Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report
