Ukraine Accuses Russian Troops of Executing Surrendered Soldiers

Ukrainian authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged execution of four Ukrainian soldiers by Russian forces after they surrendered in the southern village of Piatykhatky.

According to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights, the incident occurred in March and came to light through a video that circulated on social media.

“They were unarmed. They exited a destroyed building with their hands raised in surrender.

They were shot dead on the spot,” Lubinets said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, as reported by Digi24.

A Clear Violation of the Geneva Convention

Lubinets condemned the act as a “clear violation of the Geneva Convention and a grave war crime.”

He stated that Ukraine will bring the case before the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations to push for an official investigation.

This is not the first time Kyiv has accused Russian forces of executing prisoners of war. In an interview from mid-December 2024,

Lubinets cited 177 confirmed cases of such killings since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. That number, he warned, continues to rise.

The alleged incident in Piatykhatky highlights the brutal conditions on the front lines and adds to the mounting list of war crimes Ukraine claims to have documented. Investigators are now working to authenticate the video footage and gather additional evidence.

Calls for Accountability

Ukraine has consistently called on international bodies to hold Russian forces accountable for violations of international humanitarian law.

The Geneva Convention, to which both Ukraine and Russia are signatories, explicitly prohibits the execution of prisoners of war.

“The world must respond,” Lubinets wrote. “Justice cannot wait.”

As the war grinds on, Ukrainian officials are urging allies and global institutions to take stronger actions to deter and prosecute those responsible for such atrocities.