Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating a case of Russian troops summarily executing six Ukrainian captives in the embattled Donetsk Oblast, the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Jan. 23.
The statement came in reaction to a video circulating on social media, recorded by Russian soldiers, that apparently shows the execution of the six prisoners of war (POW). Footage also shows a seventh Ukrainian soldier lying on the ground, whose fate is unknown.
"According to preliminary information, during an assault against Ukrainian positions in Donetsk Oblast, Russian soldiers took six Ukrainian soldiers captives and subsequently shot them," the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement.
Executing prisoners of war is a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions and a war crime.
Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said he had reached out to the U.N. and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding the case.
Throughout the full-scale war, Ukraine has documented widespread violations of the Geneva Conventions by Russian forces, including the execution of over 100 POWs in 2024 alone, according to Lubinets.
Reports of torture, murder, and abuse of Ukrainian captives — particularly in Donetsk Oblast — have surged in recent months.
Visual evidence of these atrocities continues to emerge, underscoring Russia's disregard for international law.
Daria Shulzhenko
(Updated: )
