Unarmed, Wounded Ukrainian Soldier Executed Point-Blank by Russian Forces

On October 9, a video emerged showing Russian forces executing an unarmed, likely wounded, Ukrainian prisoner of war.

The footage appears to depict the soldier identifying himself as being from Ukraine’s Sumy region moments before he is shot.

Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets confirmed the authenticity of the video, calling it a stark violation of the Geneva Conventions, international humanitarian law, and the rules of war.

Lubinets confirmed that he has formally submitted a report on this case to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations, urging both organizations to take immediate action. He stressed the importance of addressing such violations, stating, “If there is no response, these crimes will continue to occur.”

Earlier, Ukrainian authorities reported 49 criminal cases related to the confirmed executions of 124 Ukrainian POWs by Russian forces, primarily in the Donetsk region. Denys Lysenko, head of the Department for Combating Crimes within the Prosecutor General’s Office, confirmed efforts to build cases against senior Russian military officials involved or neglecting to prevent these actions.

Furthermore, earlier reports from the Prosecutor General’s Office indicated that six Ukrainian POWs were executed by Russian forces in the Pokrovsk direction. On October 23, Russian troops allegedly captured and killed three Ukrainian soldiers near Selydove, followed by the execution of three more POWs on November 1 during an assault in the same area.