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Last week, Ukrainian forces surrendered the eastern city of Avdiivka, which they had for months been desperately defending against a brutal Russian onslaught.
The conquest of Avdiivka represents a strategic and symbolic victory for Russia, strengthening its defence of the regional capital, Donetsk, and potentially opening up avenues for further offensives against Ukrainian-held territory.
Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi says he ordered a retreat from the city in order to save soldiers’ lives.
Now evidence of possible war crimes has emerged, as relatives of six soldiers found dead following the takeover of the city say they were executed after surrendering. Ukrainian authorities are investigating. Moscow has not yet commented.
The BBC has spoken to Ukrainian soldiers who withdrew from Avdiivka. Their testimony paints a picture of unresponsive commanders who refused their troops’ desperate pleas to retreat as they were encircled by Russian troops.
When the order finally came, they say, it was too late and and they were completely surrounded.
A video posted by Russian military bloggers following the capture of Avdiivka appears to show the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers believed to have surrendered after Russian troops captured their position.
Ivan Zhytnyk, Andriy Dubnytsky and Georgiy Pavlov have been identified by relatives as the dead soldiers in the video.
The BBC has spoken to them and to other soldiers who were at the base – named “Zenith”, on the south-eastern outskirts of Avdiivka – in order to reconstruct the chaotic events which led to their deaths.
For weeks, the fighters at the position had been waging an increasingly desperate battle to hold their position.
They had repeatedly asked their commanders to pull them out, fearing a full encirclement was imminent. But their requests were denied and they were told to wait.
On 13 February, the defenders of Zenith were finally ordered to withdraw to another position in Avdiivka but by then it was too late.
On 17 February, Col Gen Syrskyi ordered a full withdrawal from Avdiivka in order to “preserve the lives … of servicemen”. But it was too late for many soldiers, including the six who surrendered.
The following day, a video appearing to show their bodies was posted by Russian sources to social media.
Relatives of Ivan, Andriy and Georgiy say they have no doubt that they are the men who appear in the video.
“They were killed by the Russians,” says Georgiy’s mother, Inna Pavlova. “But our military leadership allowed it to happen.”
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