Brutal execution of Ukrainian soldiers by Russians

US broadcaster CNN has released a recording that appears to show the execution of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered by Russian troops. The recording was filmed in late August near the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.

Video obtained by CNN shows three soldiers walking down a dirt path and falling to their knees with their hands behind their heads. A few seconds later, they lie still, face down.

A Ukrainian official, who asked for some details to be withheld to protect the individual’s identity, said the incident was consistent with other alleged executions that have become increasingly common this year.

Ukrainian intelligence sources provided CNN with a list of 15 cases of alleged killings of surrendering Ukrainian soldiers by Russian troops. These events have been ongoing since November and are mostly supported by video or audio recordings.

Ukraine’s prosecutor general told CNN that his office is investigating 28 similar incidents that have occurred since the start of the war and that have killed 62 Ukrainian soldiers.

Attack towards Pokrovsk

Russian forces are advancing towards the strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, despite recent territorial gains by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk Oblast in western Russia during an offensive aimed at forcing Moscow to redeploy some of its forces from Donbass to protect its own borders.

Ukrainian prosecutors told CNN that the alleged killings of prisoners constitute war crimes and are part of the Kremlin’s strategy.

If prisoners surrender, if they demonstrate this, if they do not have weapons in their hands, summary execution constitutes a war crime.

Attorney General Andriy Kostin told CNN.

According to him, such crimes took place in different parts of Ukraine and were committed by different Russian units.

This policy is ordered by the Kremlin. These are orders from specific commanders.

– he said.

Russians do not comment on the recording

The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

The emergence of footage of this alleged escalating Russian tactic creates a dilemma for Ukrainian commanders, who face the unenviable task of warning their troops and the world about Russian barbarity, which threatens to undermine the weakened morale of Ukrainian troops.

– writes CNN.

The Ukrainian authorities representative who provided the video from the Pokrovsk area said the Ukrainian unit was aware of similar incidents on the front line that had not been made public.

Several Russian soldiers have been accused in Ukraine of such killings, including in the Zaporizhia Oblast in the south of the country.

A source on the UN team investigating unlawful, summary or arbitrary executions told CNN that the alleged executions of Ukrainian soldiers were also being investigated.

There are many of them. They correspond to a specific pattern. They indicate ease, if not orders, to have no mercy.

said this source.

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PAP/as above