The prosecutorʼs office opened the case because of a video where the Russians use prisoners as human shields

The Zaporizhzhia Regional Prosecutorʼs Office opened proceedings after the publication of a video in which the Russian army uses prisoners of war as human shields.

The case is being investigated as a violation of the laws and customs of war (Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to preliminary data, Russian military personnel, disregarding the norms of international humanitarian law, defiantly used Ukrainian prisoners of war as human shields during hostilities against the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia region. Investigations are ongoing.

What video is it about?

On December 13, “Radio Svoboda” journalists received a drone video from the Ukrainian military, on which it was recorded how Russian soldiers lead captured soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the muzzles of machine guns towards Ukrainian positions, covering themselves with them. It happened in the Zaporizhzhia direction on the outskirts of Robotyne.

Currently, the Ukrainian military has no information about the future fate of these Ukrainian prisoners. The fighters who provided the video emphasized that in this way they are publicly reporting on the war crime of the Russian army. According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, forces of the 234th Assault Regiment of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are fighting in this direction.