Ukraine accuses Russia of executing Ukrainian soldiers after they surrendered

Ukraine accused Russia on Saturday of committing a war crime by executing Ukrainian soldiers who expressed their intention to surrender.

A short video posted on Telegram showed two men leaving a shelter, one of them placing his hands above his head, before throwing themselves on the ground next to another group of soldiers.

This is followed by what appears to be gunfire and smoke before the video suddenly cuts off.

This undated video was broadcast on social media as being filmed near the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, where fighting is raging.

Ukrainian human rights official Dmytro Lubinets condemned the video and described what it contained as a “war crime”.

“Today a video appeared on the Internet of the execution of surrendered Ukrainian soldiers as prisoners by Russian soldiers… This is another violation of the Geneva Conventions and a lack of respect for international humanitarian law,” Lubinets wrote on Telegram.

He added, “The Russian side is showing its terrorist face again”.

Lubinets pointed out that the Ukrainian soldiers were stripped of their weapons and had their hands raised, and didn’t pose any threat, and the Russian side should have arrested them and considered them prisoners of war”.

In March, another video spread online showing a Ukrainian soldier being shot dead after chanting “Glory to Ukraine”.