Russian soldiers executes 5 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast — Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office
The Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported that Russian occupiers shot and killed five Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in the Donetsk Oblast.
Video screenshotRussian soldiers filmed the execution themselves via drone. The footage shows the Ukrainian soldiers lying face down on the ground while a Russian soldier opened targeted fire on them with an automatic rifle, killing them. Russian soldiers can be heard celebrating the execution with vulgar and celebratory remarks.
The shooting occurred on November 19, 2025, during the storming of Ukrainian positions near the village of Kotlyne, Pokrovsk District.
Law enforcement officials have initiated a pre-trial investigation into the commission of a war crime resulting in death under Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office highlighted that the killing of POWs is a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious international crime.
By way of background, on July 24, the OSCE invoked the Moscow Mechanism after 41 participating states, in consultation with Ukraine, requested that the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights examine the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russia. Ukraine established a mission of three experts on August 15 to investigate possible violations of OSCE commitments, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law.
The OSCE mission found that Russia systematically denies Ukrainian combatants prisoner of war status, subjects them to widespread torture and ill-treatment, including severe beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, and mock executions, and conducts arbitrary killings and executions both on the battlefield and in detention.
Russian officials’ public statements declaring “no quarter will be given” encourage summary executions. Detention conditions fall below international standards, with overcrowding, inadequate food and medical care, and forced labor. POWs are denied fair trial guarantees through coerced confessions and unfair proceedings, while family communication and International Committee of the Red Cross access remain severely restricted. The mission concluded these violations constitute war crimes and, in some cases, arguably crimes against humanity.
At least 13,500 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been detained by Russia since February 2022. Approximately 169 have died in captivity, nearly 6,800 have been released, and an estimated 6,300 remain in detention across multiple sites in Russia and temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
