Madrid (EFEVERIFICA).- A video broadcast in recent days on social networks shows the beheading with a knife of a soldier dressed in Ukrainian military uniform and insignia by another man speaking to a third party in Russiansome facts condemned internationally and with indications of constituting a war crimeaccording to the analysis of the video and the experts consulted by EFE Verifies.
Although the place or time at which it was recorded cannot be determined, various details in the clothing and conversation captured by the video point to an execution of a prisoner on the Ukrainian side by troops at the service of Russia, according to reports. Observe in the publication located by EFE Verifies on Telegram, previously discovered by US television CNN after circulating on Russian and Ukrainian social networks.
Sources of International Amnesty explain that, if the images are true, the facts would constitute a war crime since, as stated in the Third Geneva Conventionprisoners of war are to be “protected at all times against any act of violence or intimidation.”
In the same way, Rachel Denberdeputy director of the organization’s Europe and Central Asia Division Human Rights Watchstresses that international humanitarian law “require” for parties to an international armed conflict to treat prisoners of war “with humanity”.
“It is a war crime to intentionally kill, ill-treat or torture prisoners of war, or to intentionally cause great suffering or serious injury to body or health,” points.
military identification
The victim in the video wears two patches with the Ukrainian coat of arms and a skull on his vest, as well as a yellow scarf tied to his arm that is used to identify Ukrainian forces.
For his part, the aggressor wears a white bracelet, a distinctive “common among Russian soldiers”, how do you explain Joanne Stocker, journalist and analyst specializing in the Ukrainian war of Storyfula social media strategic intelligence agency.
During the execution, the attacker speaks Russian with at least one other man, also in uniform. In that conversation, sarcastic comments are exchanged and about how the murder should be committed, in addition to referring to the victim as a mercenary. The severed head is also shown to the camera and it is pointed out that it will be sent to his commander.
In this dialogue it is stated that the enemies “they are all high”which coincides with common statements that the Ukrainian soldiers use drugs to fight made by profiles on social accounts and pro-Russian spokespersons.
A former mercenary points to Wagner
Likewise, the former mercenary of the Wagner Group Andrei Medvedevwho fled to Norway last January, claims that the perpetrators of the beheading are fighters from the Russian private military company after identifying the voices in the video, according to the human rights activist and founder of the organization Gulagu.net, vladimir Osechkinon his Telegram channel.
the ex-mercenary “he unequivocally identifies his colleagues there, the Wagner fighters by their characteristic nicknames, by the way they speak, by what they express on the radio”as Osechkin has exposed.
The head of the military company, Yevgeny Prigozhinruled out the involvement of members of Wagner.
Although the existence of the video has come to light in recent days, the vegetation captured in these images leads several analysts to think that the events took place in summer.
Indications that this is not an isolated event
The video was discovered by CNN along with another recording showing what appears to be two corpses of Ukrainian soldiers also beheaded next to destroyed military vehicle.
The mission that UN Human Rights Office has deployed in Ukraine pointed out about the images of the execution that “This is not an isolated incident”.
In a statement, the mission notes that it has documented several serious violations of international humanitarian law, among these the committed against prisoners of war.
In the months that it has been investigating in Ukraine, the mission has pointed to episodes of extrajudicial executions, attacks against civilian infrastructure and residential areasa series of acts that constitute war crimes perpetrated by the aggressor party.
Reactions from Ukraine and Russia
The President of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenskihas asked the international community and its leaders to act urgently with concrete measures to help Kiev defeat Russia before the broadcast of the video.
“It is something that no one in the world can ignore: the ease with which these beasts kill”has pointed out.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovhas stated that the video should be «verified» and admitted that the images are “terrible”.
He Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has launched an investigation to identify the perpetrators of the execution, while the Russian Prosecutor’s Office has announced that it has started the analysis of the images “in order to assess the veracity of the materials and make an appropriate decision”.
FUENTES:
Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch.
Joanne Stocker, Storyful journalist and analyst specializing in the Ukraine war.
Amnesty International sources.
Information from CNN (04/12/2023): “Zelensky blasts ‘beasts’ who allegedly beheaded Ukrainian soldiers after video emerges”.
Vladimir Osechkin’s Telegram channel.
EFE information.