Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday (Apr 13) denounced Russian “beasts” after a video appeared to show the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner, prompting international outrage.
The emergence of the disturbing footage, which AFP was unable to independently verify, sparked fury in Ukraine, with Kyiv saying Russia is “worse than ISIS” – an acronym for the Islamic State group.
The European Union pledged to hold war criminals to account, while a UN mission in Ukraine said it was “appalled”.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine also pointed to another video that is spreading online, saying it “shows mutilated bodies of apparent Ukrainian POWs”.
It was not clear when or where the video was filmed. Ukrainian authorities said they were trying to identify the beheading victim.
Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of killing prisoners of war since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to invade Ukraine more than a year ago.
A number of videos alleging to show POW killings have made the rounds on the internet over the past year.
Following the emergence of a new video, Zelenskyy said in an address posted to social media that “the world must see” what he called an “execution” of a Ukrainian captive.
“There is something that no one in the world can ignore: How easily these beasts kill,” the grim-faced Ukrainian leader said.
“We won’t forget anything, nor will we forgive murderers,” he added.
“ACT NOW!”
Zelenskyy urged world leaders to act and help Ukraine defeat Russia as Kyiv forces prepare a counter-offensive after a months-long stalemate on the battlefield.
“We need to act now!” the Ukrainian president said.
The video, which lasts one minute 40 seconds, shows a masked man in camouflage decapitating another man in uniform.
After the screams stop, other voices are heard encouraging the attacker in Russian.
After the man is decapitated, a voice is heard saying that the head should be sent “to the commander”.
The victim’s vest bearing the Ukrainian trident and a skull can also be seen in the footage.
The SBU security service said it had opened a probe into the video.