A drone video obtained by the Associated Press (AP) appears to show Russian troops killing four Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). The incident occurred on March 13 in southern Ukraine’s village of Piatykhatky. A second video recorded by a Russian drone shows the same event but with different footage, suggesting Russia’s alternative narrative.
The videos analyzed together shed light on Moscow’s actions during the ongoing conflict. Two military officials from a European country shared the first video with AP, requesting anonymity to avoid prosecution. The video depicts four Ukrainians surrendering, then being shot by Russian soldiers. One soldier methodically executes all four men.
According to experts, this is not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern. “It’s one of the clearest cases,” said Rollo Collins of the Center for Information Resilience, a London-based group that reviewed the video. “This is an illegal action.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reported an increase in extrajudicial killings of Ukrainian POWs since 2023. Yurii Bielousov, head of Ukraine’s war crimes department, said this type of killing is part of Russia’s policy, supported by top leaders.
At least 245 Ukrainian POWs have been killed by Russian forces since the conflict began. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized the importance of accountability for war crimes in any peace agreement. The Trump administration’s withdrawal of support for a special tribunal and sanctions on key ICC staff have raised questions about U.S.-brokered peace deals and potential amnesty for Russian officials.
Russia’s actions are being scrutinized by international organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which documented 91 extrajudicial killings of Ukrainian POWs since August 2024. The absence of U.S. support has diminished hopes of prosecutions, and Bielousov stated that Ukraine is not ready to forgive everything that happened on its territory.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-pow-execution-drone-video-piatykhatky-ap-analysis