Russian troops shoot five Ukrainian prisoners of war in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Active fighting is currently underway near Novodarivka in the Polohy district. According to the investigation, the Russians captured six Ukrainian defenders and shot five of them.

Ukrainian law enforcement officers have initiated criminal proceedings for violating the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional homicide (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a grave international crime.

Investigators have already identified the unit of the Russian army, whose fighters are currently being probed for involvement in this crime. The investigators also received a video recording of the moment of the shooting.

Executions of captured Ukrainian soldiers

As of November 22, law enforcement officers were investigating 53 criminal proceedings for the execution of 177 soldiers. In October-November alone, 13 such proceedings were registered against 54 fighters.

This year, the number of criminal proceedings opened for the murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russians has more than quadrupled compared to 2022 and 2023.

So far, three indictments have been sent to the court. This year, the courts of Chernihiv Oblast handed down two sentences of life imprisonment for the Russians who, in March 2022, killed prisoners during the occupation of the villages of Sloboda and Lukashivka.