Russians murder two women, shoot at civilian car, Ukrainian prosecutors say

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has launched an investigation into alleged war crimes after Russian forces reportedly killed civilians in Selydove, Donetsk Oblast.

In 2024, Russia intensified the execution of Ukrainian POWs, with Ukrainian officials and UN reports documenting these acts as systemic mistreatment, violating the Geneva Conventions. The trend raises concerns that the Kremlin is shifting towards eliminating POWs. Russian forces also kill civilians through airstrikes, artillery, and direct shootings.

According to the Prosecutor General’s office, the incident involving a civilian vehicle was captured on video and occurred on 24 October. The footage shows Russian forces allegedly opening automatic weapons fire on a civilian car carrying two people, one of whom was wounded.

Ukrainian military personnel subsequently arrived at the scene, providing first aid to the injured civilian and evacuating people from under fire, the prosecutor’s office reported.

In a separate incident, Russian forces allegedly killed two women in Selydove. The Prosecutor General’s office stated that the bodies of the civilian casualties were found in a residential area that had seen little damage from active combat, suggesting the killings occurred after Russian forces took control of the territory.

The investigation has been opened for violations of the laws and customs of war.

Related: