According to the Ukrainian army, it has identified a Ukrainian soldier shown in an alleged execution video. According to available information, the Ukrainian prisoner of war whose shooting can be seen in the video is Tymofij Mykolajovych Shadura from the 30th mechanized brigade, the Ukrainian army said on Tuesday in the online service Telegram. He last fought near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and has been missing since February 3.
Video circulating online, which appears to be amateur footage, shows a man in camouflage standing in a shallow ditch smoking and being shot after shouting “Glory to Ukraine”. AFP was initially unable to independently verify where and when the video was filmed and whether it actually shows a Ukrainian prisoner of war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the incident. ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan must “immediately launch an ICC investigation into this heinous war crime,” he said on Monday evening. “Perpetrators have to answer in court,” demanded Kuleba.
The federal government described the video as “shocking”. “If that is authentic, then that would be a war crime,” emphasized a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office on Tuesday in Berlin.
Irrespective of this individual case, Ukraine is receiving logistical support from Germany in investigating war crimes. For example, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) provided material for forensic work worth over 11.5 million euros last year, said a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior. In addition, the BKA is supporting the investigation by questioning the witnesses of Ukrainian refugees.
