Kyiv claimed Thursday that Russian forces had executed four captured Ukrainian servicemen in the eastern Donetsk region, the latest war crime allegation against Moscow.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office said four servicemen fighting in the national guard had been captured on Oct. 6 near the Donetsk region town of Selydove, where Russian forces are advancing.
"The next day, the Defense Forces regained their lost positions and found the bodies of the killed Ukrainian servicemen during a search operation," the prosecutor general said in a statement.
There was no immediate response to the claims from Moscow and AFP could not independently verify the allegations.
"The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious international crime," the prosecutor general said, adding that it opened an investigation into the incident.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces had killed more than 100 prisoners of war held in Russian captivity.
The UN says it has documented numerous violations of international humanitarian law against prisoners of war, including cases of summary execution of both Russian and Ukrainian prisoners.
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