Horrifying drone evidence exposes Russian death squads slaughtering Ukrainians

There has been evidence released that seems to show Russian forces killing Ukrainian soldiers who were surrendering in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. This evidence includes intercepted Russian radio communications and drone footage, which appear to support each other.

Warning: Descriptions and video of killing in wartime.

The intercepted radio transmissions, which CNN obtained from a Ukrainian intelligence official, contain repeated orders from a Russian commander to capture the Ukrainian commander and kill the other soldiers. These orders were given at least six times over a period of about 10 minutes. The commander’s call sign and rank have not been verified. The transmissions also include exchanges between the commander and soldiers using the call signs “Arta” and “Beliy,” who seem to be following the orders.

The drone footage, reportedly recorded between 12:27 pm and 12:30 pm local time, appears to show what happened after these orders were given. The footage shows at least six Ukrainian soldiers lying face down on the ground. At least one soldier is seen being shot at very close range. Another soldier, who had been lying still, is then seen standing up, taking off body armor, and being led away. This matches the radio communication about a Ukrainian commander being captured.

Russians breaking rules of law by killing surrendering Ukrainian soldiers

The timing of the drone footage lines up with when the radio communications were intercepted. A forensic audio expert who examined the radio transmissions found no signs that they had been altered. Satellite images also confirm the location of the incident. The footage states “Take the commander captive and kill everyone else.”

Ukrainian officials are looking into the incident as a possible war crime. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has identified the suspected attackers as members of the “Storm unit” from the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment (127th Motorized Rifle Division) of the 5th Combined Arms Army. The SBU has previously connected this same unit to another suspected killing in the same area, which was the beheading of a captured Ukrainian soldier.

As of May 5, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office had started 75 criminal investigations into the suspected killings of 268 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The number of alleged executions is said to be increasing, with investigations into 8 cases involving 57 soldiers in 2022, 8 cases involving 11 soldiers in 2023, 39 cases with 149 soldiers in 2024, and 20 cases with 51 soldiers so far in 2025. Ukrainian officials suggest this rise may be due to orders from top Russian political and military leaders.

A UN special investigator on unlawful killings and a Western intelligence official said the evidence matches other reported cases of Russian forces executing surrendering Ukrainian soldiers. They called these actions a serious violation of international law. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not responded or commented on any of these accusations.

However, with the lack of pushback from the U.S., it seems like Russia may get away with this. Iit seems like Trump can’t stand up to Putin since he tends to blame Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities think the alleged executions are part of a larger Russian strategy, possibly fueled by cultural hatred toward Ukrainians and a deliberate effort to weaken Ukrainian morale. In response, the Ukrainian government has increased training for its troops on how to properly handle Russian prisoners of war to ensure their safety.