Ukrainian law enforcement officers have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the execution of five Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian servicemen in Polohy district of Zaporizhia region, the Prosecutor General's Office reports.

"According to preliminary data, on November 24, 2024, near the settlement of Novodarivka in Polohy district of Zaporizhia region, where active hostilities continue, servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces executed five of the six Ukrainian defenders taken prisoner," the department said in a statement on its Telegram channel on Thursday.

The prosecutor's office emphasizes that law enforcement officers have identified a unit of the occupying army, whose servicemen are being checked for involvement in this crime.

"The investigators also received a video recording that captured the moment of the shooting," the statement said.

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

"Under the procedural guidance of Zaporizhia Regional Prosecutor's Office, a criminal case has been initiated on the fact of violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder [Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine]," the Prosecutor General's Office reports.

The pretrial investigation into the criminal case is being carried out by investigators from the SBU Directorate in Zaporizhia region.