Another video has been going viral on social media showing Russian servicemen who allegedly documented their own abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in violation of international laws of conflict in their third year of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In the released footage, Russian soldiers lead four blindfolded POWs. A uniform resembling a Ukrainian pixel was worn by the captured men.
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One of the Russian soldiers told the captives to sing the anthem of the Soviet Union (USSR), after that the Russians started singing “The Sacred War” also known as “Arise, Great Country!” – one of the most famous Soviet songs of World War II.
One of the Russian servicemen shouted at one of the captives, “Pig, why aren’t you singing?” After the prisoners sang a verse, the Russian soldiers began hitting the two Ukrainian soldiers in front with such force that they fell to the ground.
The Russians ordered them, “Get up! Get up, *uck. Get up, *itch, we told you.” The Russian soldier continued to kick the captive lying on the floor, then added, “So what, kill him, *uck?”
Then he pulled the shutter of his machine gun, demanding that the captive stand on the count of three. Then the Russian soldier fired as close as possible to the Ukrainian soldier’s head.
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Such actions are a violation of the Geneva Conventions, which state that POWs have the right to humane treatment.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported on Telegram that the incident had previously taken place in the Kharkiv sector.
“A video of Russian soldiers mocking Ukrainian prisoners of war is circulating on the Internet. According to preliminary information, this happened in the Kharkiv sector, where the Russians are currently attempting offensive actions,” he wrote.
The Ombudsman sent official letters to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN to document the abuse of Ukrainian POWs.
The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office has already initiated proceedings on the violation of the laws and customs of war (part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), as reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
“Measures are currently being taken to identify the victims and the servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” the report read.
Journalists established the identity of the Russian soldier who filmed the video
Investigative journalists from the Suspilne media outlet identified the Russian serviceman who directly filmed the video. He turned out to be 32-year-old Kiprin Oleksiy Leonidovych from St. Petersburg, who has been fighting in Ukraine since 2014.
According to information on the Ukrainian website “Myrotvorets” (Peacemaker), he was a serviceman of the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the so-called militia of the “Luhansk People’s Republic.” According to journalists, he is currently fighting in the “Storm” assault group of the 153rd Tank Regiment of the 47th Guards Tank Division of the 1st Tank Army.
A year ago, he shared photos of his award on social media—the St. George’s Cross signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Suspilne journalists even contacted Kiprin on WhatsApp to confirm that he filmed the released footage. Mistaking them for Russian propagandists, he replied, “The anthem was sung badly. We gave them slaps upside the head and transferred them to the POW camp.”
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