A video shows Russian soldiers executing three Ukrainian prisoners of war near Zaporizhia. There had been similar incidents in the region before.
Kiev – In the Ukraine war, the Ukrainian public prosecutor's office has started an investigation on suspicion that Russian soldiers shot prisoners of war again. In December, three Ukrainian soldiers were taken prisoner of war near Robotyne in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia and were later shot, the authorities said. A video of the shooting is circulating on the Internet. The victims were soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Brigade.
Ukraine checks identity of perpetrators
Apparently the Ukrainian investigators also have initial concrete information about the perpetrators. Yuri Belousov from the Prosecutor General's Office explained in Radio Svoboda, that soldiers from the 76th Airborne Division of the Russian Armed Forces, also known as the “Pskov Airborne Division,” could possibly be involved in the execution. “We are currently reviewing this information,” he said. This division has already committed war crimes in the Kiev region. The video of the execution reached the public prosecutor's office on December 16th.
War crimes by Russian soldiers in Zaporizhia are not uncommon
Apparently the footage was captured by a Ukrainian drone. The footage shows soldiers shooting the prisoners kneeling on the ground from a distance. Several soldiers then go to those who were shot. One of them then shoots the lifeless bodies again – apparently to make sure that the Ukrainian soldiers are actually dead. Belousov noted that such actions by the Russian military are not uncommon in the Zaporizhzhia region, pointing to previous cases in which Ukrainians were used as human shields.
Federal Prosecutor General is investigating Russia for war crimes
Russian war crimes are now also an issue in the German judiciary. The suspects in the first German investigation into a specific war crime in Ukraine are now known. “The suspected shooters and responsible officers have already been identified,” said Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP). German press agency. The proceedings, which were initiated in mid-July, concern targeted shots by members of the Russian armed forces at fleeing civilians.
“If we catch the perpetrator, we will press charges,” said Buschmann. “And if Ukraine or another country with which we cooperate gets hold of these people, then we will make the evidence available in such a way that charges can be successfully brought there.” Convictions in absentia would occur for war crimes and other serious crimes generally not considered under German criminal procedure law.
The incident at issue in the first German investigation took place in the Kiev suburb of Hostomel. According to information from the Federal Prosecutor's Office in September, it is an allegation that civilians – including a person with German citizenship – were shot at and injured by Russian forces in the Ukrainian town. Russia has so far remained unimpressed by the crimes of its own soldiers.
Ukraine is becoming a scene of war crimes
The Russian army invaded Ukraine more than 22 months ago. War crimes such as the mistreatment and killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian soldiers have repeatedly attracted international attention. Cases of Russian prisoners of war being mistreated by Ukrainian soldiers have also been documented by the United Nations, among others. (erpe with dpa)
#Video #shows #execution #Ukrainian #prisoners #war
