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Russia’s Troops Capture Ukrainian Soldiers, Then Execute Them in Zaporizhzhia Region
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russian forces executed Ukrainian prisoners of war after capturing them in the Huliaipole sector of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, prompting Ukrainian prosecutors to launch a war crimes investigation.
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Intercepted Russian military communications indicate that the killings may have been carried out under orders from a senior commander.
According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office on October 17, investigators opened criminal proceedings under Part 2 of Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which covers violations of the laws and customs of war resulting in death.
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Ukrainian authorities are examining evidence provided by the military, including intercepted communications between Russian soldiers, to establish the circumstances of the killings and identify those responsible.
Maksym Kravchuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Group of Forces, told Ukrainska Pravda on October 17 that soldiers from Russia’s 38th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade are suspected of carrying out the executions.
The brigade is currently operating against Ukrainian forces in the Huliaipole sector, where the alleged killings took place.
According to Kravchuk, Ukrainian forces obtained intercepted Russian military conversations in which soldiers discussed orders to kill unarmed Ukrainian prisoners. Preliminary information suggests that two Ukrainian servicemen may have been executed.
Kravchuk also alleged that such orders within the Russian brigade were issued under the direction of its commander, Colonel Valery Kazak. Investigators have not yet established the identities of all those directly involved or determined the full chain of command responsible for the alleged executions.
The Zaporizhzhia Regional Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the investigation, with law enforcement officials reviewing military intelligence and other available evidence to establish individual responsibility.
Under the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war must be treated humanely and protected from violence, including deliberate killing. The intentional execution of captured combatants constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and may be prosecuted as a war crime.
Earlier, on October 15, Ukraine’s Security Service charged a captured Russian soldier with allegedly killing five unarmed Ukrainian servicemen and a civilian in the Kharkiv region. The suspect, identified as Leonid Ryzhikov, faces life imprisonment under Ukraine’s war crimes legislation.
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