Russian Forces Execute Four Ukrainian POWs Near Kharkiv Amid Easter Ceasefire

The 14th Army Corps reported the summary execution of captured servicemen in the Derhachi community, a move Kyiv calls a systemic violation of the Geneva Conventions. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Ukrainian recruits completing basic military training at an undisclosed location in Zaporizhzhia region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Andriy Andriyenko / 65th Mechanized Brigade of Ukrai / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Russian forces executed four captured Ukrainian servicemen near the village of Vetarynarne in the Kharkiv region on Sunday, April 12, despite the ongoing Orthodox Easter ceasefire. According to a Facebook statement from the 14th Army Corps, Russian troops launched an assault on Ukrainian positions in the Derhachi community, resulting in the capture of four soldiers from a mechanized brigade. Instead of adhering to international humanitarian law, the Russian forces executed the unarmed prisoners on the spot. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . “Russia proves once again that its army is a terrorist group for which no rules or laws exist,” the 14th Army Corps stated. “The execution of prisoners has become a systemic practice for the enemy, indicating conscious approval of such crimes by the Russian high command.” The major war crime occurred just 24 hours after a rare diplomatic breakthrough in which Ukraine and Russia exchanged 175 prisoners of war each. That swap, mediated by the United Arab Emirates and the US, brought home 182 Ukrainians, including 25 high-ranking officers and defenders of Mariupol. President Volodymyr Zelensky previously hailed the Saturday exchange as a “matter of principle” to return everyone from captivity. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and international investigative groups are currently collecting evidence to open a criminal case under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the laws and customs of war). Military officials have called on the international community to increase pressure on the aggressor state, emphasizing that every executor and commander involved must be identified and punished. Other Topics of Interest Three Medics Injured as Russian Drone Strikes Ambulance During Easter Night A targeted drone attack in the Sumy region has left three medical workers wounded, marking a further violation of the 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire. The execution follows a night of relentless drone strikes and hundreds of recorded ceasefire violations by Russian forces across the frontline, further undermining the 32-hour “holiday silence” decreed by the Kremlin . Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.