Law enforcement opened an investigation into Russian troops executing seven Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered as prisoners of war (POWs) in Donetsk Oblast, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Feb. 25.
A video showing Russian soldiers shooting seven Ukrainian POWs near the villages of Ivanivske and Khromove, not far from Bakhmut, reportedly surfaced online on Feb. 24.
"The drone camera footage shows Russian troops initially ordering our defenders to come out of the trench. Afterward, having gathered all the defenders in one place and stepped back several meters, the enemy opened fire on them with automatic bursts," the statement reads.
Russian troops "deliberately executed the wounded and unarmed Ukrainian soldiers, disregarding the norms of international humanitarian law," the Prosecutor General’s Office announced via Telegram.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that they had already established the military unit of Russian troops who were behind the execution.
"This incident must be documented as yet another violation of international humanitarian law by Russia," Lubinets said.
Thekilling of a POW is a violation of the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a war crime.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale war, law enforcement has identified several cases of Ukrainian prisoners being tortured or killed while in Russian custody.
The Prosecutor General’s Office said 19 criminal investigations are now underway regarding the execution of 45 Ukrainian POWs.
Last week, Ukraine's military said Russian troops killed two Ukrainian prisoners of war in Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine's 110th Brigade reported on Feb. 19 that the Russian military promised to evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers in Avdiivka but instead shot and killed five of the Ukrainian troops.
Read also: Ombudsman: Russian troops executed at least 7 Ukrainian POWs near Bakhmut
