Ukrainian Armed Forces confirm Russians shot surrendering Ukrainian soldiers. Responsible eliminated

The video of the Russian war crime was published by Deep State. This information was confirmed by the Strategic Communications (StratCom) Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"The footage published in the media shows the execution of two prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to confirmed information, the invading Russian forces have once again insidiously shot unarmed soldiers," the Ukrainian Armed Forces StratCom said in a statement.

The military called on the international community to condemn Russia's actions and bring the military leadership of the aggressor country to justice.

On December 3, Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka city military administration, reported on Freedom air that the incident occurred in the Avdiivka direction. He stated that the Russians responsible for killing two Ukrainian soldiers were taken down.

Barabash mentioned that the Ukrainian soldiers, who were unarmed and out of ammunition, surrendered.

He stated, "As far as I know, our team later took control of those positions, and everyone present was dealt with."

What the prosecutor's office says 

The Office of the Prosecutor General reported that under the procedural guidance of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation was launched into the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with intentional murder.

According to preliminary data, the events on the video of the shooting of unarmed Ukrainian defenders by Russian soldiers took place near one of the observation posts near the village of Stepove, Pokrovsk district. 

"The video shows a group of people in Russian uniforms shooting at point blank range two unarmed servicemen in the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who were surrendering. Investigators and prosecutors have now launched an investigation into the incident. The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a grave international crime," the Prosecutor General's Office added.

Ombudsman's response

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reacted to the video of the shooting of Ukrainian soldiers in his telegram channel. He called the actions of the Russians another violation of the Geneva Conventions and said that he had appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, whose mandate is to record crimes against prisoners of war.

"The video clearly shows that the Ukrainian military are taking the necessary steps to show that they are surrendering! The soldiers were disarmed and their hands were raised in the air. They did not pose any threat! The Russian side had to take them prisoner and grant them the status of prisoners of war," Lubinets wrote.

On March 6, a video was posted online showing Russian soldiers shooting a Ukrainian soldier after he said "Glory to Ukraine." Subsequently, the SBU released the name of the executed soldier - it was Oleksandr Matsievskyi, a sniper with the 163rd Battalion of the 119th Separate Tank Brigade of the Chernihiv Oblast. It was established that he was shot on December 30, 2022.

The Ombudsman also promised to appeal to the UN to have a permanent monitoring mission record this fact as another vivid example of a violation of international humanitarian law.

"The Russian Federation must be punished for every such case of execution of Ukrainian soldiers who surrender! I would like to note that they are not isolated - this is the murder of soldier Oleksandr Matsievskyi and other soldiers who surrendered. This includes the public execution of prisoners of war in Olenivka!" - Lubinets emphasized.

Ukrainian soldiers shooting

According to the video published by DeepState, the Russians entered the positions of the 45th Separate Rifle Battalion. While clearing the area, the Russians stumbled upon a dugout with Ukrainian soldiers in it.

The Ukrainian soldiers were forced to surrender due to a lack of ammunition. As soon as the second soldier came out, the terrorists shot both of them.

• On March 6, a video was posted online showing Russian soldiers shooting a Ukrainian soldier after he said "Glory to Ukraine." Subsequently, the SBU released the name of the executed soldier - it was Oleksandr Matsievskyi, a sniper with the 163rd Battalion of the 119th Separate Tank Brigade of the Chernihiv Oblast. It was established that he was shot on December 30, 2022.