On Tuesday, the Ukrainian Public Prosecutor accused Russian forces of “beheading” a Ukrainian soldier in the Donetsk region near the Eastern Front, denouncing a new war crime committed by the Russian army.
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The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office explained in a press release on a telegram: “We received information that the heads of units of the Russian occupation forces in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region ordered not to take prisoners from among Ukrainian soldiers.”
He claims that the head of a Ukrainian soldier was seen on a military vehicle during an aerial reconnaissance operation.
The photo accompanying the press release shows a light armored vehicle in camouflage colours, with an indistinct section on the hood where the head that was supposed to be decapitated was located.
According to the Prosecutor, these actions “constitute a flagrant violation of the articles of the Geneva Convention relating to the treatment of prisoners of war.” The judge adds that an investigation has been opened on charges of “violating the laws and customs of war” as well as “premeditated murder.”
Moscow has not yet responded to these accusations, and Agence France-Presse has not been able to independently verify the allegations of Ukrainian prosecutors.
Ukraine and Russia accused their armies of committing crimes on the front since the war began in February 2022.
As part of a ten-point peace plan led by President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kiev has requested the establishment of a special court to investigate abuses.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also welcomed the International Criminal Court's issuance of arrest warrants against two Russian leaders accused of war crimes linked to bombings in Ukraine.
