The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine reported that it has 27 criminal proceedings for the execution of 54 Ukrainian prisoners of war, the cases of which have been recorded since March 2022.
This was said by the head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in the Armed Conflict, Yurii Belousov.
"The Prosecutor General's Office has 27 criminal proceedings on the facts of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war. We are talking about the murder of 54 defenders," he said.
In particular, commenting on the video published on social networks on April 7, the head of the Department noted that it was previously confirmed that the crime took place near Krynky in the Kherson Region, but the details are being checked. Belousov also urged to remember the loved ones and not to announce the names of the killed prematurely.
"According to this fact and the previous ones, we are also working out the command that is responsible for such actions. It is not only about the commanders of units, but also about the highest military and political leadership. Because this is not an isolated case, but evidence of the policy of the russian federation," Belousov said.
It is reported that cases of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war have been recorded since March 2022. In addition, the court has already sentenced the first russian soldier for the execution of a defender in the Chernihiv Region.
At the same time, the investigation is complicated by the fact that prosecutors and investigators usually do not have access to the crime scene or the opportunity to examine the body.
"But this work is ongoing. Ukraine has a unique experience of documenting crimes without even having access to the territory... We work with the International Criminal Court, the UN Monitoring Mission, intelligence agencies and non-governmental organizations that also collect information. Our task now is to document, record, to tell the world the truth. Criminals will end up on the dock, it's only a matter of time," Belousov said.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Nataliya Humeniuk, spokeswoman for the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine, noted that the details of the incident with the shooting of Ukrainian prisoners of war near Krynky, Kherson Region, are still being established. Then Humeniuk assumed that the enemy could have published this video, tying it to the bridgehead in Krynky, since it has no success in this axis.
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