Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused each other of violating international humanitarian law
Kiev, Ukraine:
Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday they had opened an investigation into the killing of six unarmed Ukrainian soldiers by Russian troops in the city of Avdievka and the shooting of two Ukrainian soldiers in a village in the same area, after Russia claimed full control of the city.
“An investigation into the shooting of unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war in Avdiivka and Veselai has been launched,” the Donetsk District Prosecutor’s Office said on its Telegram channel.
The prosecutor referred to information about the “execution of six prisoners” at a location in Avdiivka, adding that they were “seriously injured and awaiting evacuation.” The company said the information was shared on Telegram but did not disclose the source.
Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne quoted Ukrainian military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy as saying it was “still impossible to confirm or refute” Avdievka’s killing because the investigation was still ongoing. However, he added that this was not the first time Russia had committed war crimes.
The Donetsk prosecutor’s office said drone video footage showed a Russian soldier shooting two captured Ukrainian soldiers at close range in the village of Vesele.
“The occupiers did not want to leave the prisoners alive, so they killed them with automatic weapons,” the office added, without revealing when the incident occurred.
Earlier on Sunday, the Ukrainian Army’s official Telegram channel shared a video apparently taken by a drone showing a group of uniformed men in a cramped trench.
An armed man identified in the post as a Russian approached two uniformed Ukrainians and shot them both.
The Ukrainians in the video do not appear to be trying to defend themselves, but line up in a narrow trench while another soldier approaches and appears to grab both of them.
After the initial confrontation, two wounded men could be seen lying in the trench, convulsing. The other man then stood back for a moment before shooting both of them again.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to an email sent by Reuters outside normal business hours seeking comment on the charges, the latest in a series of charges brought by Ukrainian prosecutors over the killing of prisoners of war. Russia denies such claims.
Reuters could not immediately verify the video or other details from Ukrainian prosecutors and military accounts.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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