Exclusive drone footage obtained by CNN appears to show Russian forces executing three surrendering Ukrainian soldiers during a battle near Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine in late August. The video, released on September 6, adds to mounting evidence of alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops on the front lines of the ongoing conflict.
The footage depicts three Ukrainian soldiers stumbling out of a trench, hands raised in surrender. As they kneel on a track with their hands on their heads, Russian troops reportedly gun them down. This incident is part of a disturbing pattern of summary executions of Ukrainian soldiers by Russian forces.
Russians killing surrendering Ukrainian soldiers on the Pokrovsk front, video published by CNN. https://t.co/0Ed7txV0x9 pic.twitter.com/RS6xzNEUfX
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 6, 2024
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin confirmed that his office is investigating 28 such incidents since the war began, resulting in the deaths of 62 Ukrainian servicemen. Kostin emphasized that these acts could be considered war crimes, noting that surrendering soldiers are entitled to protection under the Geneva Conventions. “If prisoners of war surrender, if they show they surrender, if they are without weapons in their hands, then summary execution is a war crime,” Kostin stated.
Defense intelligence sources in Ukraine provided CNN with a list of 15 similar cases since November, many of which were documented through drone footage or intercepted communications. These reports suggest that Russian forces are increasingly engaging in summary executions rather than taking Ukrainian soldiers as prisoners of war.
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