Allegations claim Russia responsible for the killing of defenseless Ukrainian prisoners in the war.

Ukraine has begun investigating a video that allegedly shows Russian troops shooting and killing two unarmed Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered. Ukrainian prosecutors claim that the footage exhibits a "group of people in Russian uniforms" firing at close range. The prosecutors consider the killing of prisoners of war as a serious violation of international laws regarding armed conflict. However, the video has not been independently verified, and Russia has not commented on the matter. Both Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of violating the Geneva conventions since Russia's invasion in February 2022, which includes the treatment of prisoners of war. Ukraine's prosecutor general's office has initiated a pre-trial investigation into the "violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder." The shooting is believed to have taken place near the village of Stepove in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Ukraine's military has called on the international community to condemn Russia's actions and hold its military leaders accountable. Russia's military has not yet responded to the allegations. The video, published by Ukraine's DeepStateUA Telegram channel, shows two Ukrainian soldiers being shot after their positions were seized by Russian troops. The soldiers had surrendered after running out of ammunition. The authenticity of the video has not been confirmed by the BBC. Ukrainian serviceman Oleksandr Kolym claimed that the soldiers who shot the Ukrainians were from his unit, and Avdiivka's military administration head, Vitaliy Barabash, stated that they were later "eliminated" in a Ukrainian attack. However, no evidence was provided to support their claims. In another incident, a video surfaced showing a Russian soldier beheading a Ukrainian soldier, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to call on world leaders for a response. Russia responded that the authenticity of the footage and the identity of the individuals involved needed to be verified. In March, Ukraine accused Russian soldiers of shooting an unarmed Ukrainian soldier who was seen smoking a cigarette and shouting "Glory to Ukraine" before being killed. Last year, Moscow accused Ukrainian forces of executing a group of Russian prisoners based on a video from the frontline in eastern Ukraine, which depicted several soldiers surrendering before being killed.