Russian troops executed four captured servicemen of Ukraine’s National Guard near Selydove in the Donetsk region, according to a report from Kyiv’s Prosecutor General’s Office.
On Oct. 6, the four soldiers were manning defensive positions in the Selydove area when, at around 1:00 p.m. Russian forces launched an assault during which the National Guardsmen were seized.
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“Subsequently, representatives of the Russian Armed Forces filmed the interrogation of the wounded, unarmed National Guardsmen,” the report said.
The following day, after Ukrainian forces retook the lost positions, the bodies of the executed servicemen were discovered.
The killing of prisoners of war constitutes a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a serious international crime, the Prosecutor General’s Office said. A pre-trial investigation has been launched into violations of the laws and customs of war, combined with first degree murder contrary to the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Reports also emerged of 16 Ukrainian POWs executed by Russian forces in the Pokrovsk district of eastern Ukraine while attempting to surrender. A video released on Telegram on Oct. 1 showed the Ukrainian soldiers emerging from a trench and being lined up before Russian troops opened fire, killing them with automatic weapons. Those still alive were executed at close range.
On Oct. 7 Russian soldiers executed three unarmed Ukrainian POWs in the village of New York, also in the Donestk region, the incident being captured by a drone with the images later being released by the 12th Special Purpose “Azov” Brigade. On Oct. 18, Russian troops executed another two Ukrainian soldiers near Selydove.
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Ukraine’s Prosecutor General described the Pokrovsk incident as the largest recorded execution of Ukrainian POWs on the front lines. The exact date of the incident is under investigation.
Recent reports indicate a growing trend of executed captured Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, with the Prosecutor General’s Office suggesting that Russia may be using these killings as a deliberate tactic.
Russian forces attempting to infiltrate Selydove
National Guard spokesman Ruslan Muzychuk told the Ukrainska Pravda outlet that Russian troops are making efforts to infiltrate Selydove.
“The enemy claims control of certain areas within the city,” Muzychuk said. “However, our units are actively working to control and eliminate the infantry attempting to penetrate the surrounding area and enter the city, especially from the direction of Mykhailivka. We are also preventing the enemy from establishing observation and firing positions.”
Muzychuk added that Russia is actively deploying aviation against Selydove. The outskirts of the town face frequent artillery bombardment, resulting in the widespread destruction of residential buildings throughout the town.
Russian forces are also conducting reconnaissance by combat in the forest belts surrounding the town, launching attacks on new areas, Muzychuk said.
In the past 24 hours, Russian troops have launched 19 attacks on Selydove, deploying a significant infantry force. Ukrainian Guardsmen reportedly repelled these assaults, killing more than 50 and wounding around 70 Russian soldiers.
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