Ukraine’s Security Services, with the assistance of prosecutors in the Donetsk region, opened a war crimes investigation on Sunday following reports that Russian troops executed six unarmed Ukrainian soldiers during fierce fighting in the city of Avdiivka over recent days.
Footage of the executions was posted to various social media channels, prosecutors also confirmed, including images of two unarmed Ukrainian soldiers being assassinated with automatic weapons while in Russian captivity.
According to state-run outlet Ukrinform, the Ukrainian authorities’ statement went on to confirm the nature and scope of the investigation. “Under the procedural supervision of the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office, a pre-trial investigation has been initiated into the violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine),” Ukrinform quoted prosecutors as saying.
Further, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne quoted a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military, who said this was not the first time Russia committed war crimes during the ongoing war. “The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a serious international crime. The armed forces of the Russian Federation systematically and cynically violate the norms of international humanitarian law on the territory of Donetsk region,” said Dmytro Lykhoviy.
In recent days, Russia began a major offensive in Ukraine. During those battles, the city of Avdiivka was captured, Russian state media reported Saturday.
From the very inception of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has faced persistent allegations of violating international law. However, as domestic pressure on Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin has increased following a series of political crackdowns on democratic dissent, so, too, has the scale and scope of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Friday, while in prison, sparked a wave of mass protests across Russia and induced widespread international condemnation.
