Russians execute 16 Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk

Russian forces executed 16 Ukrainian prisoners of war near the Pokrovske direction, and law enforcement is investigating the incident, according to the Prosecutor General's Office.

On October 1, reports surfaced on Telegram about the possible execution of 16 Ukrainian defenders by Russian military forces. The footage allegedly comes from the area around the villages of Mykolaivka and Sukhyi Yar in the Pokrovsk district.

"The released video shows Ukrainian soldiers, taken prisoner under enemy control, emerging from a forest. After they lined up, the occupiers deliberately opened fire to kill them. The wounded, who showed signs of life, were finished off at close range with automatic gunfire," the Prosecutor General's Office reported.

Prosecutor General Kostin said this is the largest known execution of Ukrainian POWs on the frontline and further evidence that the killing and torture of prisoners by Russia is a deliberate policy of its military and political leadership.

Law enforcement is currently reviewing the video, and investigative and search actions are underway to determine all the details.

The maximum possible punishment is life imprisonment.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that he has sent letters regarding this video to the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Read also: Ukrainian partisans blow up occupiers in Melitopol – DIU