Russian troops kill 4 captured Ukrainian soldiers near Selydove, Donetsk region

Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General reported the information.

According to law enforcement officials, on October 6, four servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine were performing combat missions at positions near the town of Selydove. 

At about 1:00 p.m., Russian troops began an assault on the fortifications, during which they captured Ukrainian defenders. Later, Russians recorded the interrogation of the wounded unarmed National Guardsmen on video.

“The next day, the Ukrainian Defense Forces regained the lost positions and found the bodies of the killed Ukrainian servicemen during the search operations,” the statement said.

The Prosecutor General's Office reminded that the killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious international crime.

Ukraine's response

The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets sent letters to the UN and the ICRC to ensure that the international community records these violations.

“Russia has once again committed a war crime and violated the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Unfortunately, we are witnessing the lack of an effective global response to the killing of prisoners of war. We cannot allow war crimes to become commonplace!” Lubinets said.

• On October 18, Russian troops captured two Ukrainian soldiers near Selydove, Donetsk region, and shot them at close range with machine guns.