The Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office has launched a pre-trial investigation into the killing of five Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Investigators report that on 19 November, during an assault on Ukrainian positions near the settlement of Kotlyne, Russian servicemen captured five Ukrainian defenders. While the disarmed soldiers were lying face down on the ground, one of the occupiers deliberately opened fire on them with an automatic weapon, killing all five.
The criminal proceedings have been opened under Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — violation of the laws and customs of war resulting in death. Urgent investigative actions are currently underway to establish all details of the incident and identify the Russian servicemen involved.
Prosecutors stressed that killing prisoners of war is a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a serious international crime.