Russia accuses Ukraine of executing more than 10 POWs
>>LONDON: Russia said on Friday that Ukrainian soldiers had executed more than 10 Russian prisoners of war, accusing Kyiv of carrying out war crimes and the West of ignoring them.
The Russian defence ministry cited a video circulating on Russian social media which it said showed the execution of Russian prisoners of war. Reuters was unable to immediately verify either the video or the defence ministry’s assertions.
“This brutal murder of Russian servicemen is neither the first, nor the only war crime,” the ministry said.
“This is common practice in the Armed Forces of Ukraine that is actively supported by the Kyiv regime and blatantly ignored by its Western patrons.”
There was no immediate response from Kyiv, which has said previously it would investigate any alleged abuses by its armed forces. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of war crimes, which Moscow has denied.
The video shows what appear to be Russian soldiers lying down on the ground in Makiivka, in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, after surrendering to armed men with yellow bands on their arms.
Then automatic gunfire rings out and the video shows around 12 bodies. It was unclear when the video was filmed or who filmed it.
The Russian defence ministry said the video showed “the deliberate and methodical murder of more than 10 immobilised Russian serviceman by degenerate Ukrainian soldiers”.
It added that the video was a sign of the “atrocious nature” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and said he would “answer before the court of history and the people of Russia and Ukraine”.