The Russian military executed four Ukrainian servicemen on the territory of the aggregate plant in Vovchansk by order of their command. This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office on October 5, noting that this war crime was documented with the assistance of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. writes “Radio Liberty”.
The head of the prosecutor’s office Oleksandr Filchakov clarified that the investigation was started on the basis of the testimony of Russian prisoners of war who provided key information about this execution. Despite the difficult situation due to active hostilities in the region, this case is particularly important because the suspect in the crime is in Ukrainian captivity. This will make it possible to avoid a hearing in absentia and conduct a full-fledged court process.
If the suspect is found guilty, he faces up to life in prison. The prosecutor’s office stressed that this incident is part of a broader investigation into crimes committed by the Russian military against Ukrainian prisoners.
Earlier, the head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in the Armed Conflict, Yuriy Bilousov, reported that Russian troops executed 93 Ukrainian prisoners of war. In addition, the prosecutor’s office is also investigating the shooting of 16 Ukrainian servicemen in Donetsk region.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission recorded a significant increase in the number of executions of Ukrainian prisoners between December 2023 and February 2024. The mission’s report mentions 12 incidents in which at least 32 Ukrainian soldiers were killed.
