Comment ODESSA — Amnesty International and the European Union have backed Kyiv in calling for an investigation into videos circulating online that appear to show pro-Russian forces castrating and executing a captured Ukrainian fighter. Ukrainian officials vowed to identify the perpetrators after a series of gruesome videos recently surfaced on pro-Russian Telegram channels showing a group of men, one of whom appears to be wearing pro-Russian insignia, castrating and executing a prisoner dressed in military uniforms with Ukrainian military insignia . “This appalling attack is yet another blatant example of the complete disregard for human life and dignity in Ukraine perpetrated by Russian forces,” Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said on Friday. In about one In the 1½-minute video, a man dressed in military fatigues, wearing a “Z” patch and an orange-and-black ribbon associated with the Russian forces, castrates the bound prisoner using a green knife. A separate video shared on pro-Russian Telegram channels shows a single shot to the detainee’s head. The Washington Post could not confirm the date or location where the videos were shot. Database of 235 videos exposing the horrors of the war in Ukraine Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, described the men in the video as Russian “propagandists” who enjoy torture. “But the fog of war will not help avoid punishment for the perpetrators,” he tweeted. “We will recognize and contact each of you.” Social media users, investigative journalists and members of conflict intelligence teams are looking at other footage from Russian forces available online in an attempt to identify the men in the videos. The Post was unable to identify the captive in the video. Aric Toler, director of research and education at research group Bellingcat, said the presence of the “Z” symbol, which has become a symbol of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on a car in the background in a video “resonates with some claims … that the video may be old and just surfaced after a year or two.” The EU’s top diplomat described the video as an example of “inhumane, barbaric acts” that amount to war crimes. What are war crimes and is Russia committing them in Ukraine? “Evidence in the form of a horrific video has been widely shared on pro-Kremlin social networks today, in which Russian soldiers commit a heinous atrocity against a Ukrainian prisoner of war,” Josep Borrell said on Friday, referring to the gruesome videos. “The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces and their proxies.” There has been no official comment from Moscow on the allegations. Amnesty’s statement said the London-based rights group had documented crimes under international law during Russia’s war in Ukraine, including the summary killings of captured Russian-backed separatists and the extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian civilians by Russian forces. Ukraine and Russia share responsibility for the attack that killed Mariupol prisoners After Russian forces withdrew from the suburbs of Kiev earlier in the conflict, images of dead bodies on the streets and evidence of torture in Bukha, near the capital, sparked global outrage — and more Western sanctions against Russia. Moscow has rejected the accusations. As Russian bombs pound Ukrainian cities, Kyiv says it is collecting evidence across the country to investigate and prosecute hundreds of alleged war crimes by Russian forces during the war, now in its sixth month. In April, a Ukrainian official said an investigation would be launched after a graphic video was shared online showing the apparent killing by Ukrainian forces of a Russian fighter on the ground. Francis reported from London.
