The Security Service of Ukraine has collected an extensive body of evidence and “cracked” a serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces who, together with an accomplice, shot nine Ukrainian prisoners of war during fighting in the Kursk region.

The video of the interrogation was published by the SSU on January 23.

The investigation established that the war crime was committed by Sergey Skobelev, a serviceman of the 155th Separate Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Federation.

In October 2024, as the commander of a Russian assault group, he received an order to attack positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kursk region. Skobelev’s unit caught one of the Ukrainian groups by surprise and, following the battle, captured nine servicemen.

The prisoners were forced to undress and lie on the ground. To calm them down and prevent resistance, they were promised transfer for a prisoner exchange.

However, on the order of his commander, Skobelev, together with his accomplice, shot all the captured Ukrainian servicemen with standard-issue weapons. After that, the Russian assault group collected the mobile phones and radios of the dead and continued combat operations.

A week later, Sergey Skobelev was captured by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. At first, he denied the crime, but SSU officers gathered the necessary evidence that forced the Russian serviceman to confess.

“The committed crime is a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions and other international documents defining the rules for the treatment of prisoners of war. He is being prepared a notice of suspicion. The perpetrator will face appropriate severe punishment”, — the SSU stated.