War In Ukraine Video Allegedly Shows Russian Soldiers Castrating Ukrainian Soldier

CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the videos that circulated widely on social media after first appearing on a pro-Russian Telegram channel. CNN also has not independently verified the nationality of the perpetrators or the victim. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it was disappointed by the videos. In a statement issued late Friday, the Monitoring Mission said “torture and summary executions of prisoners of war and persons hors de combat are war crimes.” The Prosecutor General’s office in Ukraine said it has launched a criminal investigation into the matter, “based on the results of video processing, which shows how people in the uniform of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation torture a prisoner in the uniform of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Ukraine Measures are being taken to establish all the circumstances of the crime.” The video that appears to come first shows the victim gagged surrounded by at least four men, one of whom is wearing what appears to be a Russian uniform with the “Z” insignia associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A second video shows the same man writhing on the ground as a man wearing blue surgical gloves and what appears to be a Russian uniform cuts the victim’s underwear with a box cutter. The man uses the same box cutter to castrate him, then holds the mutilated genitalia for the camera. In the video, the attackers can be heard saying “hold him, hold him” in Russian. The third video shows the bound and mutilated man being shot in the head and being dragged away. CNN has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment on the videos. The UN Monitoring Mission said on Facebook that it was “horrified by the latest videos, which apparently show the beating, castration and shooting of a captured soldier by the Ukrainian Armed Forces by a man who appears to be a member of the Russian armed forces or affiliated armed groups’. “In one of the videos the tortured soldier was seen being shot in the head and his body dragged into a ditch. If confirmed, these actions would constitute war crimes.” The UN Monitoring Mission said: “Unfortunately, this is only the latest in a series of videos that have documented torture and extrajudicial killings of prisoners of war and persons hors de combat, committed by belligerents.” “HRMMU has publicly reported on videos showing Ukrainian soldiers shooting the legs of three captured Russian soldiers and on a separate occasion shooting and killing a wounded Russian soldier,” the UN Monitoring Mission wrote. He added: “All parties must refrain from torture, killings and threats to give no quarter to captured fighters. They must promptly and effectively investigate all allegations of torture and unlawful killings.” The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell strongly condemned on Friday “Russia’s ongoing illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and its people brings further horrific atrocities day by day.” “Horrifying video evidence has been widely shared on pro-Kremlin social media today, showing Russian soldiers committing a heinous atrocity against a Ukrainian prisoner of war,” Borrell said in a statement.
Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the videos. “This horrific attack is yet another blatant example of Russian forces’ complete disregard for human life and dignity in Ukraine. All those suspected of criminal responsibility must be investigated,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe Director. and Central Asia. “Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Amnesty International has documented crimes under international law, including summary killings of prisoners by Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine and extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian civilians by Russian forces,” he said.

title: “War In Ukraine Video Allegedly Shows Russian Soldiers Castrating Ukrainian Soldier " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-23” author: “Donald Lunsford”

CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the videos that circulated widely on social media after first appearing on a pro-Russian Telegram channel. CNN also has not independently verified the nationality of the perpetrators or the victim. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said it was disappointed by the videos. In a statement issued late Friday, the Monitoring Mission said “torture and summary executions of prisoners of war and persons hors de combat are war crimes.” The Prosecutor General’s office in Ukraine said it has launched a criminal investigation into the matter, “based on the results of video processing, which shows how people in the uniform of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation torture a prisoner in the uniform of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Ukraine Measures are being taken to establish all the circumstances of the crime.” The video that appears to come first shows the victim gagged surrounded by at least four men, one of whom is wearing what appears to be a Russian uniform with the “Z” insignia associated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A second video shows the same man writhing on the ground as a man wearing blue surgical gloves and what appears to be a Russian uniform cuts the victim’s underwear with a box cutter. The man uses the same box cutter to castrate him, then holds the mutilated genitalia for the camera. In the video, the attackers can be heard saying “hold him, hold him” in Russian. The third video shows the bound and mutilated man being shot in the head and being dragged away. CNN has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment on the videos. The UN Monitoring Mission said on Facebook that it was “horrified by the latest videos, which apparently show the beating, castration and shooting of a captured soldier by the Ukrainian Armed Forces by a man who appears to be a member of the Russian armed forces or affiliated armed groups’. “In one of the videos the tortured soldier was seen being shot in the head and his body dragged into a ditch. If confirmed, these actions would constitute war crimes.” The UN Monitoring Mission said: “Unfortunately, this is only the latest in a series of videos that have documented torture and extrajudicial killings of prisoners of war and persons hors de combat, committed by belligerents.” “HRMMU has publicly reported on videos showing Ukrainian soldiers shooting the legs of three captured Russian soldiers and on a separate occasion shooting and killing a wounded Russian soldier,” the UN Monitoring Mission wrote. He added: “All parties must refrain from torture, killings and threats to give no quarter to captured fighters. They must promptly and effectively investigate all allegations of torture and unlawful killings.” The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell strongly condemned on Friday “Russia’s ongoing illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and its people brings further horrific atrocities day by day.” “Horrifying video evidence has been widely shared on pro-Kremlin social media today, showing Russian soldiers committing a heinous atrocity against a Ukrainian prisoner of war,” Borrell said in a statement.
Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the videos. “This horrific attack is yet another blatant example of Russian forces’ complete disregard for human life and dignity in Ukraine. All those suspected of criminal responsibility must be investigated,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe Director. and Central Asia. “Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Amnesty International has documented crimes under international law, including summary killings of prisoners by Russian-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine and extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian civilians by Russian forces,” he said.