War

Russian forces executed 2 Ukrainian POWs near Dobropillia, prosecutors say

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Russian forces executed 2 Ukrainian POWs near Dobropillia, prosecutors say
Photo allegedly showing a Russian soldier shooting Ukrainian POW near Dobropillia, Donetsk Oblast, on Sept. 2, 2026. (Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office / Telegram)

Russian troops shot dead two Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in an execution near the eastern city of Dobropillia on Sept. 2, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office said on Sept. 11.

According to the pretrial investigation, the two National Guard soldiers were carrying out a combat mission at a position in a forest belt near Dobropillia, Donetsk Oblast, when Russian soldiers captured them.

The Russian troops then allegedly shot the Ukrainian servicemen with automatic weapons, prosecutors said.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is investigating the case under Article 438 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, which covers war crimes resulting in death.

Investigators are carrying out urgent investigative measures to establish the circumstances of the incident and identify the Russian servicemen allegedly involved, the prosecutor's office said.

The execution of prisoners of war is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a war crime.

Ukraine has documented widespread violations of the Geneva Conventions by Russian forces, including the execution of at least 337 captured Ukrainian POWs as of the end of 2025, according to Ukraine's Human Rights Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets.

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Yuliia Taradiuk

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Yuliia Taradiuk is a Ukrainian reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has been working with Lutsk-based misto.media, telling stories of Ukrainian fighters for the "All are gone to the front" project. She has experience as a freelance culture reporter, and a background in urbanism and activism, working for multiple Ukrainian NGOs. Yuliia holds B.A. degree in English language and literature from Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University, she studied in Germany and Lithuania.

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