The inquiry has pinpointed the Russian commander who fatally shot an unarmed Ukrainian combatant in the Sumy province. He has been formally charged with a breach of the rules and traditions of warfare.
The Russian captain, who shot an unarmed Ukrainian defender in the Sumy area during the initial phase of the full-scale incursion, has been identified and formally accused, as announced by the Prosecutor General's Office, according to UNN.
Details
According to the prosecutor's office, on February 24, 2022, units from the 1st Tank Army of the Russian Federation illegally crossed the boundary and invaded the Sumy region. Ukrainian soldiers targeted enemy vehicles, causing approximately 15 invaders to retreat into a forest near Okhtyrka.
“In the course of the pursuit, a Ukrainian soldier, the leader of the rifle company, was caught in an ambush and taken as a prisoner of war. He surrendered his arms and did not put up a fight. Regardless, the Russian soldier used a VSS sniper rifle to shoot the unarmed prisoner three times. The defender perished instantly,” reported the prosecutor's office.
The investigation determined that the deadly shots were discharged by the vice commander of the 1st special forces company of the reconnaissance battalion of the 96th independent reconnaissance brigade of the Russian Federation, captain
– the prosecutor's office indicated.
As stated, the Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office informed him of the suspicion under Part 1 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – infringement of the rules and customs of war, coupled with premeditated killing, carried out by a group.
Accomplices are being identified, and the possibility of adding him to the wanted individuals list is under consideration.