Conflict in Ukraine: Russia alleged to have murdered defenseless Ukrainian war captives
Ukraine has initiated a probe following the appearance of a video allegedly depicting Russian forces executing two surrendered Ukrainian servicemen.
Ukrainian legal authorities claim that the video exhibits "a collection of individuals in Russian attire" firing at defenseless Ukrainians from a short distance.
The attorneys assert that the murder of war captives is a serious breach of the rules and traditions of warfare.
The authenticity of the video has not been confirmed independently. There has been no response from Russia.
From the time Russia started its comprehensive assault in February 2022, both Kyiv and Moscow have pointed fingers at each other for not adhering to the Geneva conventions. These are international humanitarian laws that oversee the behavior during armed disputes, particularly regarding the handling of prisoners of war.
On Sunday, the office of Ukraine's prosecutor general announced that they have initiated a pre-trial probe on grounds of "intentional homicide" and "breach of warfare laws and traditions".
It stated that the murder of prisoners of war is considered a "serious global offense".
Initial information indicated that the shooting occurred close to the Stepove village in the eastern Donetsk area of Ukraine, according to the office. They did not provide any specifics regarding who recorded the video and when.
There has been intense combat in this region lately, with Russian forces struggling to capture the neighboring town of Avdiivka. This Ukrainian bastion is situated just beyond the Russian-controlled regional hub of Donetsk.
On Sunday, in a distinct declaration, Ukraine's armed forces called on the international community to "criticize Russia's deeds and hold the aggressive nation's military heads accountable".
The Russian military has not yet made a public statement regarding the accusations.
Information available about the video
The poor-quality video was released by Ukraine's DeepStateUA Telegram channel on December 2.
The report mentioned that two Ukrainian soldiers were killed near Stepove, following the capture of Ukraine's 45th Rifle Battalion's positions by Russian forces.
DeepStateUA reported that the Ukrainian troops had to give in after depleting their ammunition.
The footage allegedly displays a Ukrainian trooper emerging from a shelter to give himself up. His hands are held above his head while individuals, who Ukraine claims are Russian soldiers, aim their firearms at him.
The video then shows a Ukrainian serviceman lying face down on the ground, followed by another Ukrainian soldier coming out from the dugout. It doesn't seem like any of them are bearing arms in the footage.
In the following moments, the troops are observed launching an attack on the Ukrainians, resulting in both their deaths.
The BBC has not confirmed the genuineness of the video.
Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Kolym later revealed that the Ukrainians who were shot belonged to his team.
Vitaliy Barabash, who is in charge of Avdiivka's military administration, informed Ukraine's Freedom TV channel on Sunday that the individuals responsible for the shooting were subsequently eliminated in a Ukrainian assault.
Neither Mr. Kolym nor Mr. Barabash furnished any proof to support their assertions.
In April, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, urged global leaders to react when a video surfaced that seemingly depicted a Ukrainian serviceman being decapitated by a Russian soldier.
Russia claimed that the video was "terrible" but its legitimacy as well as the identity of the people involved needed to be verified.
In March, Ukraine charged Russian troops with the murder of a defenseless Ukrainian soldier. The soldier, who was captured on video smoking and shouting "Glory to Ukraine", was shot to death.
Towards the end of the previous year, Ukrainian troops were alleged by Moscow to have carried out the execution of several Russian capt
A video appeared from the front lines in Eastern Ukraine, seemingly showing several soldiers surrendering, with the event ultimately leading to their demise.
A representative from Ukraine alleged that Russian soldiers had faked their surrender as a strategy to assault their captors.
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