**Russia Accused of Executing Surrendering Ukrainian Troops**
CNN has obtained intercepted radio transmissions and drone footage that reportedly show Russian soldiers executing surrendering Ukrainian troops in Ukraine’s eastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast last November. The audio and video evidence have been analyzed by a Ukrainian intelligence official, who claims they match each other.
According to the report, the executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are a systemic issue, violating international law. Despite overwhelming evidence, the Kremlin denies these war crimes, which occur frequently across Ukraine.
**Kill Orders Issued Multiple Times**
The audio recordings from November 2024, timestamped from 12:05 to 12:31 p.m. local time, record a Russian commander issuing kill orders six separate times. In one instance, he says: “Ask who is the commander. Who is the commander? Ask. Take the commander captive and kill everyone else.” Four minutes later, he repeats: “You do it. Take the commander captive, f**k off the others.”
The footage from 12:28 p.m. shows a masked soldier in Russian uniform approaching the captives. Moments later, one Ukrainian soldier appears to gesture before being shot in the head. The commander is heard: “Did you take them down? A question.”
Another soldier is seen standing, removing his armor, and being marched off as the commander orders a retreat.
**Pattern of Executions Emerging**
Yurii Bielousov, head of Ukraine’s war crimes department, told CNN that the rise in POW execution cases reflects “instructions being given by top leaders of the Russian Federation, both political and military.” He cited several examples of oral orders, including a March statement by Putin referring to Ukrainian prisoners captured in Russia’s Kursk Oblast as “terrorists.”
Bielousov stated: “It’s almost a synonym for us to execute.”
**Motives Behind Executions**
Bohdan Okhrimenko, from Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said the killings may stem from a desire to avoid the logistical burden of detaining POWs. He also reminded such executions are sometimes filmed and shared by Russian forces, including beheadings and castrations, to damage Ukrainian morale.
**Investigation Ongoing**
The investigation into these alleged war crimes is ongoing. CNN has obtained satellite imagery of Novodarivka, reviewed by the Center for Information Resilience, showing similar terrain and craters as seen in the drone footage.
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