11:50 a.m.: Ukraine opens investigation into Russian executions
This Sunday, the Ukrainian government announced the opening of an investigation into “executions” by Russian forces of Ukrainian soldiers who wanted to surrender.
This accusation of “war crime” follows the broadcast of a video on the social network Telegram showing two men emerging from a bunker, one of them with his hands over his head, before lying on the ground under the watch of another group of soldiers. Gunfire ensues and smoke appears before the undated video abruptly ends.
These images were allegedly filmed near the village of Stepové near Avdiivka, a town in eastern Ukraine where fighting is raging, the Donetsk prosecutor’s office said on Sunday, citing “preliminary information.” The video shows “a group of people in Russian uniforms” shooting at two “unarmed” Ukrainian soldiers who wanted to surrender, the same source assured on Telegram.
An “investigation” has been launched into these facts, he added, recalling that the “execution of prisoners of war” constitutes “a serious international crime”. So far, neither the location of the images nor their authenticity has been confirmed by AFP.