U.S. concerned at reports of "illegitimate authorities" charging foreigners in Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens as U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks with reporters after returning from their trip to Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, near the Ukraine border, in Poland, April 25, 2022. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS

(Reuters) - The United States is concerned by reports that British, Swedish and Croatian nationals were being charged by "illegitimate authorities in eastern Ukraine", Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.

"Russia and its proxies have an obligation to respect international humanitarian law, including the rights & protections afforded to prisoners of war," Blinken wrote on Twitter.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by William Mallard)