Russian Troops Allegedly Execute Surrendered Ukrainian Soldiers in Disturbing Drone Footage

Russian troops have been accused of ruthlessly shooting dead three Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered on their knees, as captured in disturbing drone footage. The incident occurred near the war-torn city of Pokrovsk in late August, according to Ukrainian drone footage obtained by CNN. The soldiers, who had placed their hands on their heads on a road after their trench was overtaken, were shown suddenly falling face-first to the ground seconds later, indicating that Russian troops had opened fire instead of taking them prisoner.

Ukrainian prosecutors have labeled the killings a war crime orchestrated by the Kremlin. Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor general of Ukraine, stated that executing prisoners of war who have surrendered and are unarmed constitutes a war crime. He further emphasized that the footage provides potential proof of “crimes against humanity” and implicates specific commanders following a pattern of harrowing executions in recent months.

According to Ukrainian defense intelligence sources, there have been a total of 15 similar cases of Ukrainian soldiers being gunned down after surrendering since November, as evidenced by drone footage. Since the war began in February 2022, at least 28 such incidents have been investigated. Ukrainian prosecutors are currently looking into the possible execution of 73 Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian military.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Moscow continues its advance towards the strategic military hub of Pokrovsk, despite recent gains made by Kyiv in the Russian border region of Kursk. This has led to speculation that the Kremlin may need to divert troops to defend Russia’s own border.