Ukraine appeals to the UN and ICRC over footage of a soldier’s severed head

Ukraine has appealed to the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross over the publication by Russia of a video depicting the severed head of an alleged Ukrainian soldier.

Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the appeal concerned an act of violation of international humanitarian law by the Russian side.

“A video has appeared online showing Russians showing the severed head of an allegedly Ukrainian soldier,” said Dmytro Lubinets.

Lubinets added that the Russians used such videos to intimidate and demoralize Ukrainians.

“However, this only strengthens our resolve to bring everyone who commits such inhuman atrocities to inevitable responsibility,” Lubinets said.

A video showing the allegedly severed head of a Ukrainian soldier impaled, originally appeared on the Troika Telegram channel. The video was later removed from the channel.

In the 11-second video, a man dressed in a military uniform, his face covered and his voice altered, speaks to the camera in Russian:

“Today, some of you lost your heads from our attack. It will be like that every time we meet.”

Behind him, a tall pole with a severed head is visible. At the same time, the colors in the video are heavily color-corrected, making it difficult to see the details.

Analysts from DeepState said that “the video shows Russian soldiers of the 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade.”

A war crime was allegedly committed at the Kolotylivka crossing point in the Belgorod region. According to DeepState, “around August 12, the Defense Forces tried to break through the enemy at this site.”

In July it became known that the Russian invaders executed more than 110 Ukrainian soldiers after they surrendered.