Officials in Ukraine have launched an investigation into a video that has gone viral on social media, which appears to show an unarmed soldier being shot and killed by Russian forces after he proclaimed one last battle cry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the disturbing footage during his nightly speech on Monday, calling for unity to find the murderers.
It is unclear when or where the video was taken, and it has not been verified. However, it has once again raised concerns about Russian soldiers committing war crimes more than a year into its invasion of Ukraine.
In the video, a soldier is seen standing and smoking a cigarette. He recites “glory to Ukraine” in Ukrainian before he is gunned down by an unseen shooter or shooters.
The soldier had a Ukrainian flag insignia on the arm of his uniform. The man quickly collapses into a shallow hole dug in the ground as a voice is heard saying “die, b—h” in Russian.
Ukraine’s chief prosecutor announced a criminal probe is underway into the alleged execution, calling it a war crime.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Kyiv’s presidential office, said the man was a Ukraine prisoner of war and the shooting was part of a “deliberate policy of terror” by Moscow.
“The murder of a captive is the latest Russian war crime,” Yermak tweeted. “For every such war crime, there will be retribution.”
Ukrainian officials have accused the Russian government of committing thousands of war crimes since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Moscow has denied the allegations. Zelensky estimated that over 70,000 Russian war crimes have been committed so far.
»Unarmed soldier is shot by Russian forces in a viral video«
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