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A new video featuring Ukrainian soldiers who have been decapitated has emerged on the internet. Pro-Russian Telegram channels began to circulate the video on April 8th.
It is believed that the video was captured by members of the Wagner PMC near Bakhmut. The video depicts a damaged armored vehicle, likely an M113 armored personnel carrier, as well as two decapitated bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.
The voice of the man filming the video has been altered, apparently to make it difficult to identify him. “Careful, he was f*cked up by a mine,” he warns his companion. “F*ck, no one has even come close yet... Oh, no, they did come close and cut their heads off!” the man with the camera goes on to say and laughs.
He then says that the Ukrainian soldiers had been “stripped of their clothes and shoes.” “Ah, there's another one! There were three of them here,” the Russian finally says.
Previously, there were reports of a video surfacing on the internet where Russian soldiers decapitated a Ukrainian soldier who was still alive and lying on the ground. Then, one of the individuals involved in the war crime suggested putting the soldier's severed head in a bag and “sending it to the commander.”
On April 9th, a photo of a skull impaled on a stick was posted on the MILITARY Z VKontakte page. The caption claimed that the picture was taken in Bakhmut and displayed the remains of an AFU fighter.
According to the Ukrainian volunteer OSINT organization InformNapalm, they have been documenting instances of decapitation of Ukrainians, including civilians, by Russian fighters since 2014. The organization's post suggests that these actions are not intended solely to intimidate the Ukrainian army and society, but rather to create “blood ties” among the perpetrators. This is done with the intention that if a mercenary defects or commits treason, these videos can be leaked online.
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, wrote on Twitter in connection with the publication of these videos that “there will be a retaliation to everything, everyone will be held accountable”.
The SBU has launched an investigation into these heinous war crimes. The head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, has vowed to bring those responsible to justice, stating: “We will find these monsters. If necessary, we will pursue them no matter where they will be, whether it's under the ground or in the afterlife. They will undoubtedly be held accountable for their actions.”