Under the procedural guidance of the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation has been initiated into a war crime involving deliberate murder (Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine on November 26.
"According to preliminary data, in November 2024, russian occupiers launched an assault on the positions of Ukraine's Defense Forces near the village of Petrivka in the Pokrovsk district. As a result of the offensive, five Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were forced to retreat and sought shelter in a private house. After surrounding the building, russian forces captured the Ukrainian defenders. They were forced to surrender unarmed and lie on the ground. In violation of international humanitarian law, the occupiers executed the Ukrainian prisoners of war with automatic weapons. Investigative actions are currently underway to determine all the circumstances of the crime and identify those involved", - the statement reads.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office emphasizes that the killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a grave international crime.
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.