Russians execute four more Ukrainian prisoners of war near Pokrovsk
Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General reported another summary execution of the Ukrainian prisoners of war committed by Russian forces on 22 November 2024 near Petrivka village in Pokrovsk district of Donetsk Oblast.
The execution of Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces is reported as systemic, violating international law. Despite overwhelming evidence, the Kremlin denies these war crimes, which occur frequently across all front sectors, suggesting state-level policy. As of 22 November, the Prosecutor’s Office reported 53 criminal proceedings investigating the execution of 177 Ukrainian defenders, with the majority of cases registered this year. In total, Ukraine has launched nearly 170,000 investigations into war crimes and national security violations since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
According to prosecutors, Russian military representatives launched an assault on a Ukrainian Armed Forces position. During the hostile attack, four Ukrainian servicemembers were compelled to surrender. Immediately following their surrender, the occupying forces opened fire with automatic weapons, killing all four prisoners.
The Prosecutor General’s Office emphasized that the intentional killing of prisoners of war constitutes a severe violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious international crime.
Ukrainian law enforcement, specifically the Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, has initiated a pre-trial investigation under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, which addresses violations of laws and customs of war combined with intentional murder.
Investigative actions are currently underway to establish all circumstances of the crime and identify individuals involved in its commission.
The Office reported the previous Russian war crime just a day earlier, when Russian troops executed five Ukrainian POWs in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
On 20 November, the Russians killed two Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk.
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