Russian forces execute 6 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk region: Ukraine launches investigation

The Prosecutor General’s Office and Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported the information.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, during an assault on Ukrainian military positions in Donetsk, the Russians took six members of Ukraine’s Defense Forces captive and then executed them.

A pre-trial investigation has been opened under criminal proceedings for war crimes leading to the death of individuals (Part 2, Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code).

Lubinets stated that a video circulating on social media shows the invaders shooting six Ukrainian prisoners of war in the back. The video ends with a seventh defender lying on the ground—his fate remains unknown.

“Each execution is carried out in front of the other captives. The Russians command them to ‘lie down and shut up,’ while the perpetrator on camera says, ‘one is mine,’ before firing a series of shots into the back of one of the prisoners,” wrote the ombudsman.

Lubinets has submitted information about this crime to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, emphasizing that Ukraine demands justice and accountability for those committing such atrocities in violation of international norms.

Foreign Ministry’s response

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi stated that the ministry has already shared details of this latest Russian crime with Ukraine’s international partners and key global organizations.

“This execution is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and the rules and customs of war,” Tykhyi emphasized.

• Earlier in January, Russian forces executed captive soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Neskuchne in the Donetsk region.