Russia 'shoots dead surrendered Ukrainian drone pilots in underwear'

A team of Ukrainian military drone operators were shot dead by Vladimir Putin's forces after they had surrendered in a shocking new war crime, it is alleged.

Nine unmanned plane pilots and associates are seen in their underwear after being killed, according to multiple sources.

The men had been surrounded by Russian forces in Kursk region, and laid down their weapons, says Ukraine's 1st Separate Tank Brigade.

It is a war crime to kill POWS, and there is now an alarming warning that such cold-blooded slaughter by Putin's soldiers is happening 'almost daily'.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Deep State said: 'From our sources in the 1st Separate Tank Brigade, it became known that on October 10, the Russians shot drone fighters and associates in the area of Zeleniy Shlyakh village.

'Additional details of the circumstances are being clarified, but it is known that the boys entered the position thinking that they were in the relative rear, but were already forced to come into contact with the enemy and shot back.

'However, their ammunition was limited and they were forced to surrender.'

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, said: 'Information about the possible shooting by the Russians of nine Ukrainian prisoners of war in Kursk region is again spreading in social networks.

'Such actions are a gross violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.'

He sent letter to the United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross

'regarding another crime committed by the Russians.

'These actions should not go unpunished, and the enemy should bear all responsibility.

'Russia is a terrorist country that violates all the rules and customs of war.

'The international community should not turn a blind eye to such crimes.'

The horrific aerial picture comes amid alarming analysis from independent open-source intelligence analysts that Russian killings of prisoners of war has become almost routine.

Conflict Intelligence Team founder Ruslan Leviev warned: 'The situation with executions of prisoners of war is becoming almost daily.

'Previously, we could not claim that this was some kind of strategy.

'It was quite possible to say that these were isolated incidents at the level of individual groups.

'Now, materials are being collected that allow us to more convincingly prove that [executions of prisoners by Russian troops] are becoming widespread.'