Under the procedural leadership of Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, a pretrial investigation has been launched in a criminal case on the fact of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian occupiers, the Prosecutor General's Office said.

"According to operational data, on October 2, 2024, servicemen from the Russia stormed the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the city of Vuhledar. During the offensive, the occupiers captured five unarmed Ukrainian defenders. One of them was killed in a forest belt, and four were taken out onto the road at gunpoint, where they were also shot," the PGO said in the Telegram channel.

Law enforcement officers opened a criminal case on the fact of committing a war crime that resulted in the death of people (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The murder of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a grave international crime.

Urgent investigative and search actions are being carried out to establish all the circumstances of the incident.