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Prosecutor's Office investigates shooting of Ukrainian POWs in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

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Prosecutor's Office investigates shooting of Ukrainian POWs in Zaporizhzhia Oblast
A destroyed apartment building in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, on Jan. 23, 2024. (Andre Alves/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Law enforcement are investigating the alleged shooting of three Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian troops on Feb. 18 near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Feb. 20.

A video purporting to show three captured Ukrainian soldiers being shot by Russian troops reportedly surfaced on Feb. 20.

The Prosecutor General's Office said it will investigate those involved for potentially having violated the laws and customs of war, and for murder. The pre-trial investigation will be undertaken by the Security Bureau of Ukraine (SBU) in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

“The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious international crime,” the Prosecutor General's Office noted.

Reports of Ukrainian prisoners of war being tortured or killed while in Russian custody have surfaced since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

Ukraine's military reported that Russian troops killed two Ukrainian prisoners of war in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 18. Ukraine's 110th Brigade said 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.

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Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, and social issues. Denisova began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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