Moscow, Kiev investigate video of Ukrainian soldiers suspected of torturing Russian prisoners of war

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 Russia and Ukraine launched an investigation after a video appeared on social media that appeared to show some Ukrainian soldiers torturing Russian prisoners of war.


According to RT news agency, a video circulating online over the weekend shows several people believed to be Russian soldiers taken prisoner by Ukraine lying on the ground. They appeared to have been beaten, wounded in the leg and questioned by a group of armed men, wearing blue bands similar to those of Ukrainian military units. Some of them seem to have died during the beating and interrogation. The video also shows three prisoners being asked to get out of a small car, being shot in the leg.


Eliot Higgins, founder of investigative journalism group Bellingcat, called it a "serious incident" and called for an expanded investigation.


It is not clear where, when the video was filmed or its authenticity, but Russia's National Investigative Committee cited several sources as saying that the incident took place at a military complex of extremists. Ukrainian nationalism in the Kharkov region, eastern Ukraine.


"The video circulating online shows (Russian) soldiers being captured, shot in the leg without medical assistance," RT quoted a statement of Russia's National Investigative Committee on March 27 said.


The head of Russia's National Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, directed investigators to "determine all the circumstances of the case, collect evidence and identify all those involved in order to bring it to the public eye." physical".


Reacting to the above information, Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, said on March 27: "The Ukrainian government is taking this matter seriously and will conduct an investigation immediately." .


However, he emphasized: "We are a European army, we do not despise prisoners. If this is true, it will be unacceptable behavior." Mr. Arestovych affirmed that Ukraine treats prisoners of war according to the Geneva Convention.


Meanwhile, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi accused the video of being staged to tarnish the image of the Ukrainian army. "I urge everyone to be wary of information warfare, to trust only official sources," Zaluzhnyi commented.


The above information comes in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war continuing to escalate more than a month after Moscow launched a military operation against Kiev. The Russian Defense Ministry announced last weekend that so far, more than 1,300 Russian soldiers have been killed, while nearly 4,000 people have been injured. Russia and Ukraine also confirmed that the two sides conducted prisoner exchanges.


The two sides have also continued to conduct peace talks to end the conflict, but so far there has been no progress. Moscow has repeatedly stated that the military campaign will only end when Kiev meets Russia's demands, including maintaining neutrality, disarmament, recognition of Russian Crimea, and recognition of the independence of the breakaway region. Donbass.

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