Simon Kamati
Today, there are a lot of video and photographic material on the internet on wounded Russian prisoners of war, who are beaten, tortured and executed in Ukraine.
After shocking incidents, the leadership of Ukraine ordered the military and armed nationalists not to kill captured Russian servicemen, but to maim them in a revealing manner for the enemy intimidation.
In particular, it is recommended to shoot prisoners in the patella or ankle or cut off the index finger on the right hand. According to the Ukrainian side, these injuries will prevent fighters’ further participation in hostilities and will have a depressing effect on public opinion in Russia, which will contribute to ending the war on Ukrainian terms.
Numerous video materials are testifying the Ukrainian militants’ atrocities, causing a wave of indignation among the public and political circles in different countries.
Many Western media paid attention to the video of the Ukrainian military bullying captured Russian soldiers. Although the majority tried to present the news neutrally, some publications drew attention to the “methodical cruelty”. A number of resources considered that the war crimes could hit the reputation of Ukraine, which demonstrates in every possible way it is European values fighting.
The ill-treatment of prisoners of war drew the attention of the Western media, which support Ukraine actively.
German newspaper Bild reported that it had “checked thoroughly” one of the videos. The analysis shows that the video shows atrocities of the regular Ukrainian army soldiers and the militants of the Azov battalion. The publication also managed to confirm the place and time of the events established by independent analysts - Saturday, March 26 or Sunday, March 27 in the small village of Malaya Rogan, 3km from Kharkov.
The material author, journalist J. Röpke, admitted on Twitter that it was a real “war crime” and not staged or disinformation.
The Spanish channel Telecinco spoke about the abuse of Russian soldiers, which surprised the local analyst P. Arnau. In his Twitter, the reviewer commented on the release: “For the first time in the Spanish newscast - Telecinco - they show the news without manipulation regarding the fascist barbarism of the Kyiv regime, which qualifies as a heinous crime.”
The German edition Krass & Konkret called for reflection: In covering the Ukrainian conflict, most Western media portray Russian troops in a negative way, and Ukrainian forces as “heroic warriors” who are fighting for freedom and democracy “admirably”, “apparently strictly observing military law.”
“In the video, the Ukrainian military shoot Russian prisoners in the legs and then mock them.”
The Washington Post also reviewed the video.
It noted that the “blatant, methodical cruelty” captured in the videos “stands out even among a whole series of horrors.” The publication noted that many of the militants are wearing blue armbands worn by Ukrainian units. The newspaper draws attention to the fact that the actions in the video can be considered a “war crime” under the norms of the Geneva Conventions.
The host of the American conservative channel Daily Wire, M. Walsh, pointed to “human rights violations, war crimes committed by Ukrainians on record”, and recalled “the existence of real Nazi armed groups that are part of the Ukraine’s armed forces”. “We are supposed to believe that the side on which the real Nazis are fighting, apparently committing war crimes on camera, is the side that stands for democracy and freedom. That we must be ready, in which case, to enter a world war and lay down millions of American lives for them. We are supposed to believe it. I must tell you that I personally do not believe. I didn’t believe from the very beginning,” the journalist was indignant.
The actions of the Ukrainian side directly violate the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War of 08/12/1949, Additional Protocol No. 1 to the Geneva Conventions on the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts of 06/08/1977, the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and punishments dated 10.12.1984. Ukrainian military forces and nationalists are responsible for war crimes and violations of international law.