Russian troops execute two captured Ukrainian guardsmen near Dobropillia

Investigators said that on Sept. 2, 2026, two National Guard service members were at a combat position in a tree line near Dobropillia. The Ukrainian soldiers were carrying out a mission when they were captured by Russian troops.

The Prosecutor’s Office said the Russian service members then shot the prisoners with automatic weapons.

A criminal investigation was opened under Part 2 of Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code for violations of the laws and customs of war resulting in deaths.

Investigators are working to establish all the circumstances of the crime and identify Russian service members who may have been involved in the execution of the Ukrainian soldiers.

The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said that as of June 2026, Russian troops had executed 129 Ukrainian prisoners of war and persons who were no longer taking part in hostilities.

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said in March that as of the end of 2025, the Russian military had executed 337 Ukrainian prisoners of war.