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Ukraine’s Security Service Releases Video of Captured Russian Soldier Admitting to Execution of Nine POWs
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The Security Service of Ukraine has published footage of the questioning of Russian serviceman Sergey Skobelev, who in October 2024 executed nine Ukrainian prisoners of war during combat operations in Russia’s Kursk region.
According to the SBU on January 23, in October 2024 Skobelev, acting as the commander of a Russian assault group, received orders to attack positions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces in the Kursk region. During the operation, his unit caught a group of nine Ukrainian soldiers by surprise and took them prisoner.
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The captives were forced to strip and lie on the ground. To calm them and prevent resistance, they were promised that they would be sent for a prisoner exchange. However, acting on orders from his commander, Skobelev and an accomplice shot all nine Ukrainian prisoners with standard-issue weapons.
After the killings, the Russian assault group collected the victims’ mobile phones and radios and continued combat operations. About a week later, Skobelev himself was captured by Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
He initially refused to confess, but evidence collected by the Security Service of Ukraine ultimately compelled him to acknowledge his responsibility.
“The crime committed constitutes a serious violation of the Geneva Convention and other international instruments that govern the treatment of prisoners of war. A notice of suspicion is being prepared against him,” SBU added.
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Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on January 19 that Ukrainian forces had detained another Russian serviceman involved in the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia’s Kursk region in October 2025.
Zelenskyy said he had received a report from Oleksandr Poklad, the first deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine, and described the arrest as the capture of “the Russian serviceman responsible for the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war.”
“Every Russian murderer must be held accountable for their actions. And so it will be,” Zelenskyy said. He added that Ukraine continues to counter Russian sabotage efforts in the rear and thanked the Security Service of Ukraine for protecting Ukrainian citizens.
Earlier, Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal investigation into the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia’s Kursk region, classifying the case as a breach of the laws and customs of war.
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