Did Ukrainian soldiers and volunteer fighters in the Ukraine war commit war crimes against Russian prisoners of war? A video causes a sensation.
the essentials in brief
- Ukrainian soldiers allegedly committed war crimes against Russian prisoners.
- This is shown in a published torture video, which caused a stir.
- The Ukrainian government wants to launch an investigation and promises “tough penalties”.
There are horrific scenes that are said to have been recorded during the Ukraine war. A video lasting about five minutes shows how about 20 suspected Ukrainians mistreat about ten suspected Putin soldiers.
They interrogate them and even shoot them after they have already surrendered and are tied up. The recordings each show a targeted shot at the legs of three Russian prisoners of war. The video was published on Sunday on the Telegram messenger service.
The video made waves on social media. The Ukrainian government has therefore also become involved. An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the recordings and promised an investigation by the military.
In an interview with the Russian activist Mark Feygin, Oleksiy Arestovych speaks of “absolutely unacceptable behavior”. “It’s a war crime.” Arestovych said those responsible would be “severely punished”.
He also made a promise, which was probably intended as an appeal to his own troops: “We do not abuse prisoners of war, we are a European army.”
Ukraine war: There are many indications of war crimes
The “Bild” analyzed the video and came to the conclusion that there are many indications of a war crime by the Ukrainian troops. Accordingly, the video was recorded on Saturday or Sunday in Mala Rohan, about three kilometers south of the metropolis of Kharkiv.
The place was recaptured by Ukrainian troops on Saturday. According to the Ukrainian journalist Yuri Butuzov, more than 30 Russian soldiers and mercenaries were arrested.
The newspaper notes that the incident appears “isolated and not systematic”. Dozens of videos have shown humane treatment of Russian POWs by Ukrainian soldiers.
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