Russian forces execute 16 Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk, prosecutors say

Russian forces appear to have shot 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in Donetsk Oblast, the largest recorded case of mass execution of surrendered soldiers on the battlefield, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office said on Oct. 1.

Evidence of the execution appeared on social media earlier on Oct. 1. The POWs were reportedly killed after surrendering on the front line near Pokrovsk.

The Prosecutor General's Office said it was verifying the material published online and investigating the circumstances around the case.

The execution of POWs is a "cynical and gross violation of the Geneva Conventions," the Prosecutor General's Office said.  

"This is the most massive known case of execution of Ukrainian POWs on the front line," Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said.

"The murders and torture of prisoners are not an accident, but a purposeful policy of the Russian military and political leadership," he added.

In early September, Russian forces executed three Ukrainian POWs near Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast. The Prosecutor General's Office said earlier this year that it was investigating more than 50 cases of execution of Ukrainian POWs.

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The Kyiv IndependentZarina Zabrisky