DISINFO: Firing squad execution of Russian prisoners of war points to Kyiv conflict escalation
SUMMARY
Kyiv seeks an escalation of the conflict as evidenced by the firing squad execution of Russian prisoners of war by the Ukrainian military. All this shows that the US has total control over Ukraine.
RESPONSE
New pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about alleged war crimes committed by the Ukrainian armed forces during Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. It also portrays Ukraine as a US puppet.
There is no evidence that committing war crimes is a common practice of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, or it is encouraged by the US. These claims are presented in order to undermine Ukraine’s credibility and international support, and to relativize documented and widespread war crimes committed by the invading Russian forces.
The United Nations investigators said last month that they had documented cases of Russian forces torturing civilian and military prisoners. The investigators also found that Ukrainian troops had tortured and abused prisoners of war, but “on a lesser scale.” As for the claim about the war crimes responsibility, Ukraine is investigating more than 21,000 war crimes and crimes of aggression committed by Russia.
This new narrative comes after a series of videos that surfaced on social media last week has ignited a debate over whether Ukrainian forces committed war crimes or acted in self-defense as they tried to capture a group of Russian soldiers who were then killed. The killings occurred as the Ukrainian Army recaptured the village of Makiivka, in the Luhansk region, in mid-November. At the moment it is still unclear whether war crimes have been committed, the investigations are still ongoing.
The United Nations has said the episode should be investigated. “We are aware of the videos, and we are looking into them,” Marta Hurtado, a spokeswoman for the U.N. Human Rights Office, told Reuters on Friday. “Allegations of summary executions of people hors de combat should be promptly, fully and effectively investigated, and any perpetrators held to account.”
The EU resolutely condemns Russia’s indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and urges Russia to immediately and unconditionally withdraw all its troops and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.
Several states, including Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine, announced in March and April 2022 that they would conduct investigations of war crimes in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine under the universal jurisdiction principle of international humanitarian law.
Read more about the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.
Read a similar case claiming that Kyiv and the West encourages killing Russian prisoners