The recent images, published in the public space, about the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner by the Russian military in Ukraine shocked everyone. We strongly condemn this barbaric act, which represents yet another serious violation of international humanitarian law. We reiterate that all atrocities committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine must be thoroughly investigated and those involved in these war crimes must be held accountable. We continue to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, supporting the initiative to create a special tribunal for crimes of aggression against Ukraine.
Author: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration
Russia says it will verify the authenticity of the images
Meanwhile, Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office said it had initiated a check “after photo and video materials containing alleged scenes of the alleged assassination of a Ukrainian serviceman appeared online.”
The institution appealed to Russian investigative bodies to organize checks “in order to assess the authenticity of the mentioned materials and take an appropriate decision.”
The founder of the private military company Wagner, Evgenii Prigojin, said he had watched the footage, but claimed it did not prove the involvement of members of the group.
“It is bad when people’s heads are cut off, but I have not found anywhere that this happens near Bahmut and that Wagner fighters are involved in the execution,” Prigojin said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the video “terrible” but questioned its credibility.
Ukraine has assumptions about the perpetrator of the execution
Ukraine’s security service said it had opened an investigation into the brutal killing of a Ukrainian prisoner of war, while Ukraine’s foreign ministry urged the International Criminal Court to do the same immediately.
The Ukrainian services already know who is the author of the execution. This was reported by the ombudsman Dmitro Lubineș, after talking to Ukrainian intelligence officers. The ombudsman did not say whether it was Wagner’s people, as he is not allowed to give such details.
“According to their assumptions, they know roughly who did it, in which area and who was directly involved, including who was the author,” said ombudsman Dmitro Lubineș.
The UN human rights mission in Ukraine said that “unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident,” adding that in its recent reports, the mission had “documented a number of serious violations of international humanitarian law, including those committed against prisoners of war”.
Video that surfaced online this week shows a Russian soldier beheading a man in a Ukrainian military uniform. The footage was taken in a wooded area or forest and the leaves are green, suggesting that the incident may have taken place before the arrival of winter. The video circulated on Russian Telegram channels.
Another video circulating online also appears to show two decapitated Ukrainian soldiers lying on the ground next to a destroyed military vehicle. Last month, another video of the execution of a Ukrainian soldier appeared online.
