Ukraine tells OSCE of Russia executing Ukrainian POWs

That’s according to Natalia Kostenko, Deputy Chief of Ukraine’s Mission, who spoke at the OSCE forum, Ukrinform reports.

“On 18 February, it was revealed that during the withdrawal of the Ukrainian military from the positions in Avdiivka, the Russian occupiers shot 6 wounded Ukrainian soldiers who laid down their arms. On 24 February, in the Donetsk region, Russian troops killed seven unarmed Ukrainian soldiers seeking to surrender,” she reported.

The official noted that these acts are no isolated cases.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine is investigating 19 cases of the brutal murder of 45 soldiers who tried to surrender, the diplomat said.

In addition, Russian authorities continue to stage “show trials” of Ukrainian prisoners of war. In February alone, the so-called "courts" in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk held five such trials so far, involving a total of 45 Ukrainians. A particularly egregious example occurred on 7 February, when 33 Ukrainian prisoners of war were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 27 to 29 years for their participation in hostilities.

“This reprehensible practice is nothing less than a war crime, which is contrary to the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. By this, the Russian Federation deprives Ukrainian prisoners of war of their right to a fair trial and employs them as an instrument of intimidation of their fellow soldiers and the civilian population of Ukraine,” Kostenko said.

It should be recalled that the Ground Forces said the Russian military shot dead two captured Ukrainian defenders on February 18.

Before that, on February 9, a video emerged of the execution of unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war as the Russians were capturing Ukrainian positions near the village of Klishchiivka, Donetsk region.