Russian forces executed unarmed Ukrainian POW in Donetsk Oblast, prosecutors say

Ukrainian prosecutors have launched a war crimes investigation after a captured and unarmed Ukrainian soldier was allegedly executed by Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on April 16.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place on April 11 near the village of Rozdolne in Donetsk Oblast, where three Ukrainian soldiers were taken prisoner during combat operations. One of the unarmed captives was shot and killed with automatic weapons by Russian troops, authorities said.

“Urgent investigative and search operations are underway to establish all the circumstances of the incident and identify the Russian military personnel involved in the crime,” the office said in a statement.

The execution of prisoners of war is a breach of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a serious international crime, officials noted. The investigation is being carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

Ukraine has previously documented widespread violations of the Geneva Conventions by Russian forces, including the execution of 177 captured Ukrainian soldiers as of mid-December 2024.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported a sharp rise in executions of Ukrainian POWs, documenting 79 extrajudicial killings across 24 separate incidents since August 2024.

Visual evidence of such atrocities continues to emerge, reinforcing concerns over Moscow’s systematic violations of international law.

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The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko