Because the video is too cruel, we only share a screenshot of the video above. It shows how the Ukrainian man smokes a cigarette and looks into the camera.
The footage also shows someone saying in Russian, “I’m recording.” “Glory to Ukraine,” says the Ukrainian soldier. Immediately afterwards he appears to be shot dead.
Timofi Shadura
Exactly where and when the images were taken remains unclear. The authenticity of the images cannot be independently verified. The shooters are not in the picture and the picture quality is poor.
The man in the video has been identified today as 41-year-old Timofi Shadura, a Ukrainian soldier who went missing on February 3 around the city of Bachmut.
The BBC spoke to several of the man’s relatives to confirm that it is him, and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry also says Shadura is likely the man in the video.
War crime
According to Patrick Bolder, defense specialist at the Center for Strategic Studies in The Hague, the images show a war crime. “It is clear that the man was not a threat at the time.” The man in the video is unarmed, smoking a cigarette and standing still. “This seems to be another confirmation that there are Russian troops – without making a statement about the entire Russian army – who do not care about the laws of war.”
The list of war crimes is only getting longer, says Bolder. “We have seen what happened in Bocha and Irpin and heard many stories of murder, rape, torture, looting and the kidnapping of children.”
prosecution
In his daily video message, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky also responded to the images last night. “We will find the killers,” he said. “We hold Russia responsible for every shot fired against Ukraine, for all atrocities against Ukrainians.”
The Ukrainian public prosecutor says that an investigation into Shadura’s murder is already underway. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the International Criminal Court in The Hague to also start an investigation.
Ukraine itself is investigating thousands of war crimes allegedly committed by Russian soldiers, while Russia denies any involvement in war crimes.
Major future stumbling block
Defense expert Bolder sees Russian war crimes as a major stumbling block for future relations with the Russian government. “If peace comes soon, how will we deal with a country that cannot be trusted and has committed enormous war crimes?”
Hero status
Photos and videos of the incident have been widely shared on social media since yesterday. “He is seen as a hero who dies to protect the fatherland,” says Bolder. “He is made into a symbol.”
Many Ukrainians post social media posts that read “Glory to the heroes,” the traditional response to Shadura’s last words, “Glory to Ukraine.”
