Ukrainian prosecutors open criminal case into shootout involving Russian POWs.
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The Prosecutor General's Office said it was investigating video footage that appears to show a Russian soldier opening fire on Ukrainian troops when other Russian soldiers were surrendering as prisoners of war.
Another video appears to show the same prisoners of war who are already dead and lying on the ground. The incident allegedly took place earlier in November in the village of Makiivka, Luhansk Oblast.
The Prosecutor General's Office said that the Russian prisoners are suspected of perfidy - a false claim of surrender to gain proximity to an enemy for purposes of attack. The prisoners are accused of violating the laws and customs of war, the prosecutors said.
After the videos were published, Russia accused the Ukrainian soldiers of unlawfully killing the prisoners. The Ukrainian authorities denied the accusations and said they would investigate the incident.
According to Article 37 of the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, it is forbidden to kill, injure or capture the enemy by using perfidy.
