Shocking video shows execution of four Ukrainian soldiers after surrender: Kyiv accuses Russia of war crime

The Associated Press has released a video showing Russian soldiers executing four Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) who had surrendered in the village of Piatykhatky in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has condemned the execution as a war crime, emphasising that the killing of POWs has become a systematic practice in the Russian military.

Source: Associated Press (AP); Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesman for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, on X (Twitter)

Details: The AP reported that Ukrainian soldiers emerged from a ruined house under the aim of Russian assault rifles. One soldier raised his hands in surrender and all four lay face down on the spring grass.

Two drones – one Ukrainian and one Russian – filming from high above the village of Piatykhatky in Ukraine's south captured the scene. The Associated Press has been granted access to both videos.

However, the footage presents different versions of the events.

The video from the Ukrainian drone, provided to the AP by European military sources, shows Russian soldiers, bearing insignia, firing on the four Ukrainians from behind.

Rollo Collins, from the Centre for Information Resilience, a London-based group specialising in visual investigations, reviewed the video at the request of the Associated Press.

"Out of all the executions that we've seen since late 2023, it’s one of the clearest cases," he remarked. "This is not a typical combat killing. This is an illegal action."

In contrast, the Russian drone footage, which the AP found on pro-Russian platforms, cuts off while the Ukrainian soldiers are still alive. A Russian military blogger commented on the footage:

"As a result of the work done by our guys, the enemy decided not to be killed and came out with their hands up."

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi has publicly condemned the actions of the Russian military.

Quote from Tykhyi: "Russian invaders execute four Ukrainian prisoners of war after they surrender. Such executions have become systemic, but each one is shocking in its brutality.

These executions not only show that we are dealing with beasts. They also demonstrate that the Russian army is a gathering of degenerates. They lack basic discipline, as disciplined armies do not execute prisoners of war – it goes against military logic."

Details: He also stressed that these actions constitute a war crime that should be investigated, in particular by the International Criminal Court. All those involved must be brought to justice.

Quote: "We are also grateful to AP for excellent journalistic work demonstrating how Russians fabricate videos in order to cover up their atrocities. We must not allow them to escape responsibility."

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