In the graphic video, a soldier wearing blue surgical gloves and a distinctive black wide-brimmed hat stomps on the head of a detainee who is lying face down on the ground. Another soldier stands at the prisoner’s feet. The prisoner is wearing camouflage, with part of his trousers cut off and his hands tied behind his back. A blue and yellow patch on his shoulder identifies him as Ukrainian. The assailant then mutilates the prisoner using a box-type knife with a green handle, while his victim lies on the ground, struggling. The soldier in the hat removes the bloody body part, holds it up for the camera and throws it aside. The knife-wielding soldier and his colleagues speak Russian in the video, which was first released to pro-Russian channels on the Telegram messaging app. Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms It was unclear when and where the video was shot and has not been definitively verified by official sources. The assailant’s face was not visible in the video, but investigators were trying to identify him based on his clothing, hat and other details. It was unclear what happened to the castrated soldier next. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission said that in another video, the soldier appeared to be shot in the head and dragged into a ditch. The video sparked shock, horror and condemnation after it was released on Thursday and Friday. An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, said Russian “propagandists were happy to show a group [Russian] tyrants disabled a [Ukrainian] captive.” “The fog of war will not help the Russian perpetrators avoid punishment,” he said. “We will recognize and contact each of you.” Ukrainian MP Ina Sobsun said Russian troops were coming from Chechnya’s Akhmat unit and called for international action. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called the incident a “heinous atrocity” and accused Russian forces of war crimes. Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said: “This appalling attack is yet another blatant example of the complete disregard for human life and dignity in Ukraine by Russian forces.” Russia has not commented. Russian troops have been accused of widespread atrocities during their invasion of Ukraine against rival soldiers and civilians. On Friday, Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of bombing a prison holding Ukrainian prisoners of war in a region of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian separatists. The attack on the Olenivka prison killed 53 Ukrainian prisoners of war in Mariupol and wounded 75 others. Both sides said the attack was premeditated to cover up the atrocities. After the massacre, the Russian embassy in the UK said soldiers from Ukraine’s Azov battalion, which was central to the fight in Mariupol, should be executed. “[Azov] The fighters deserve execution, but death not by shooting but by hanging, because they are not real soldiers. They deserve a humiliating death,” the embassy tweeted. Join our Israeli cooking experience! Israeli cooking is stirring the world. Here’s your chance to join… The Times of Israel Community is excited to introduce our new virtual cooking series, B’Teavon, where world-renowned chefs show you how to make classic and modern Israeli dishes. Learn more Learn more Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You are a devoted reader We are really glad that you read X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not set up a paywall. But because the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers to whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For just $6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel ADS-FREE, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thank you, David Horowitz, founding editor of the Times of Israel Join our community Join our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
