Russian soldiers in the Donetsk Oblast town of Selydove have likely opened fire against civilians on separate occasions, killing at least two women and injuring one person, the regional prosecutor’s office said on Oct. 27.
Selydove is the site of heavy battles as Russian forces are pushing deeper into the settlement, which lies 18 kilometers (11 miles) southeast of Ukraine‘s key logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Ukrainian prosecutors have launched a war crime investigation into footage and reports shared on social media that accuse Russian soldiers of shooting at and murdering the town’s residents.
One video purports to show Russian soldiers opening fire against a civilian car in a populated area on Oct. 24. One resident was injured and was provided assistance by Ukrainian soldiers who arrived at the scene afterward, the prosecutor’s office said.
Ukrainian soldiers evacuating a civilian likely injured by Russian soldiers on Oct. 24, 2024, in Selydove, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Prosecutor General’s Office/Facebook)In a separate incident, two women have been reportedly murdered by Russian troops. The bodies have been found in a residential sector that was not heavily affected by hostilities and likely already under Russian control, the prosecutors said, citing media reports and open sources.
An investigation to establish circumstances and perpetrators is underway, the statement read.
Kyiv has accused Russia of committing over 137,000 war crimes in Ukraine as part of its aggression. There have been numerous reports of murder and torture of civilians and Ukrainian prisoners of war as Moscow continues its all-out war and holds roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory.
Earlier this week, the Prosecutor General’s Office said that Russian soldiers killed four captured Ukrainian servicemen near Selydove.
The estimated Russian advance in Selydove, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, as of Oct. 26, 2024. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)