ROME — Two movies, two totally different tales about Russia’s battle in Ukraine. In considered one of them, the prisoners seem to dwell. Within the different, they die.
The Related Press has obtained a video from a Ukrainian drone exhibiting troopers with Russian uniform markings killing Kyiv’s forces who had surrendered to them. It additionally has found a second video, recorded by a Russian drone, of the identical incident that sheds gentle on how Moscow is framing it.
These movies, analyzed collectively, inform a bigger story at a vital time within the 3-year-old battle. Proof of alleged atrocities is mounting. Probabilities for accountability are in danger. U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed for a peace deal and echoed narratives of Russian President Vladimir Putin — the very man who battle crimes prosecutors need to see in court docket.
Right here’s what to know concerning the pictures and their implications:
What does the Ukrainian video present?
It was taken by Ukraine’s 128th Mountain Brigade in what was left of the village of Piatykhatky in southern Ukraine on March 13, in keeping with navy officers with a European nation that Ukrainian authorities shared the video with. The AP obtained the video from the officers on situation they not be recognized as a result of they weren’t approved to launch it.
The video exhibits the 4 Ukrainians who had surrendered, mendacity face-down on the bottom. After they’re searched, one Russian walks to the prisoners, raises his gun and begins firing. One other soldier shoots, too, then has to reload. A 3rd Russian joins in, firing a minimum of two pictures at shut vary that take off the helmet — and the top — of one of many males. The soldier who reloaded then finishes off the 4, methodically capturing every.
What does the Russian video present?
The video recorded by a Russian drone in Piatykhatky on the identical day was discovered by AP on pro-Kremlin social media. It’s set to eerie, ominous music and follows three Russian troopers as they coax the surrendering Ukrainians out of the ruined home at gunpoint. However it cuts off with the Ukrainian troopers mendacity on the bottom — alive.
Intense preventing has devastated the realm within the Zaporizhzhia area of southern Ukraine as each side scramble to grab territory forward of peace talks.
How have Ukrainian and Russian officers responded?
Ukraine’s 128th Mountain Brigade mentioned it couldn’t remark as a result of the deaths are being investigated as a suspected battle crime. Ukraine’s inside safety company confirmed it opened an investigation.
Russia’s Ministry of Protection didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Requested about Russia’s therapy of Ukrainian POWs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Russia treats Ukrainian troops who give up in accordance with worldwide regulation and doesn’t encourage the killing of POWs.
A Russian Overseas Ministry report in March claimed Ukrainian troopers systematically kill Russian POWs. It supplied no general numbers.
What do outdoors specialists say?
“Out of all the executions that we’ve seen since late 2023, it’s one of the clearest cases,” mentioned Rollo Collins of the Middle for Info Resilience, a London group that makes a speciality of visible investigations and reviewed the Ukrainian video at AP’s request. “Our assessment is that this is not a typical combat killing. This is an illegal action.”
What’s the view of prosecutors and UN officers?
Ukrainian prosecutors and United Nations officers say such extrajudicial killings of Ukrainian POWs — against the law underneath worldwide regulation — have surged and are being inspired by high-ranking Russian officers.
“We’ve documented a startling spike in the number of executions of captured Ukrainian service persons,” mentioned Danielle Bell, the top of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. “Calls on social media by public officials, amnesty laws, dehumanizing language within the context of impunity for these acts — it’s contributing to an environment that allows such acts or these crimes to take place.”
No less than 245 Ukrainian POWs have been killed by Russian forces for the reason that battle started, in keeping with Ukrainian prosecutors.
“It’s definitely part of the policy, which is fully supported by the top leaders of the Russian Federation,” Yurii Bielousov, head of the battle crimes division for Ukraine’s prosecutor common, advised AP. “This isn’t the action of specific commanders. It is supported on the top level.”
The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented 91 extrajudicial killings of Ukrainian POWs since August 2024. In the identical interval, they discovered one case of Ukrainian troopers killing a Russian POW.
Bielousov mentioned all such allegations towards Ukrainian troops are being investigated.
What about battle crimes basically?
Ukraine has registered greater than 157,000 incidents of potential battle crimes since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has lengthy held that accountability for battle crimes needs to be a part of any peace settlement.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, the nation’s high investigation company, mentioned in December it had opened over 5,700 prison instances into alleged Ukrainian crimes for the reason that battle started.
How will shifting US coverage have an effect on accountability?
The Trump administration has withdrawn assist for a multinational effort to create a particular tribunal to research Russian leaders for aggression in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on key employees of the Worldwide Felony Courtroom, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin.
Cuts to U.S. overseas help have debilitated teams that accumulate proof and work with Ukrainian authorities to construct strong authorized instances. Questions are additionally rising about whether or not amnesty for Russian officers could be a part of a U.S.-brokered peace deal.
Stephen Rapp, a former U.S. ambassador-at-large for battle crimes points, mentioned the absence of U.S. assist will diminish hopes of prosecutions.
Bielousov mentioned Ukraine “is not ready to forgive everything which happened in our territory.”
Leicester reported from Paris and Dupuy reported from New York. Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Molly Quell in The Hague, Netherlands, and Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.
