Russian military executes Ukrainian POWs near Robotyne, investigation initiated

Shell casings on the ground in a trench near the frontline in the east
Shell casings on the ground in a trench near the frontline in the east

Russian forces executed Ukrainian prisoners of war near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhya Oblast in December, leading to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office launching an investigation.

Russian armed forces took three Ukrainian defenders captive during a skirmish with the Ukrainian Defense Forces. An hour later, the captives were shot by the occupiers, and the video surfaced on the internet, Prosecutor General’s Office reported on Telegram on Dec. 27.

Read also: Investigation launched as video reveals Russian troops using Ukrainian POWs as human shields during assaults

The execution by Russians violates Article 3 of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war.

Law enforcement has initiated a criminal case on the fact of violating laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder.

This is not the first instance where Ukraine has reported the execution of Ukrainian military personnel taken captive by Russian forces. In October, the United Nations documented six such cases in its report.

Read also: Instead of $32,000, crippled Russian soldier given two buckets of carrots, onions — photo

In early December, a video circulated on social media depicting two Russian military personnel shooting two surrendered Ukrainian soldiers with their hands held behind their heads. This was later confirmed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Preliminary findings from investigators place the execution in the vicinity of Stepove village in Pokrovsky district, Donetsk Oblast.

In early September, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said that some 90% of Ukrainian POWs had been tortured, raped, threatened with sexual violence, or otherwise ill-treated.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine