Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday denounced Russian “beasts” after a video appeared to show the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner, sparking international outrage.
The emergence of the disturbing images, which AFP could not independently verify, sparked anger in Ukraine, with Kiev saying Russia is “worse than ISIS” – a reference to the Islamic State group.
The European Union vowed to hold war criminals accountable, while a UN mission in Ukraine said it was “appalled”.
The UN Human Rights Observation Mission in Ukraine also pointed to another video circulating online stating that “the mutilated bodies of what appear to be Ukrainian prisoners of war can be seen”.
It is not clear where and when the video was recorded. Ukrainian authorities said they were trying to identify the victim.
Moscow and Kiev have repeatedly accused each other of killing POWs since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine more than a year ago.
Over the past year, a number of videos have circulated on the Internet alleging murders of POWs.
After the release of a new video, Zelensky said in a social media speech that “the world needs to see” what he called an “execution of a Ukrainian prisoner.”
“There’s something no one in the world can ignore: how easily these beasts kill,” said the grim Ukrainian leader.
“We will not forget anything, nor will we forgive murderers,” he added.
– ‘Act now!’ –
Zelensky urged world leaders to step up and help Ukraine defeat Russia as Kiev troops prepare a counter-offensive after months of stalemate on the battlefield.
“We must act now!” said the Ukrainian president.
The video, which lasts about a minute and 40 seconds, shows a masked man in camouflage decapitating another man in uniform.
After the screams stop, other voices can be heard encouraging the attacker in Russian.
After the man is beheaded, a voice is heard saying that the head should be sent “to the commander”.
The victim’s vest with the Ukrainian trident and a skull can also be seen in the footage.
The SBU security service said it had opened a probe into the video.
“The UN Human Rights Observation Mission in Ukraine is shocked by particularly horrifying videos posted on social media,” it said in a statement.
“One of the videos shows a brutal execution of a man who appears to be a Ukrainian POW, while the other shows the mutilated bodies of apparently Ukrainian POWs.”
– ‘Inhuman aggression’ –
The EU said, if confirmed, the images were “yet another brutal reminder of the inhumane nature of Russian aggression”.
“The EU reiterates its determination to hold accountable all perpetrators and accomplices of war crimes committed in connection with the war in Russia,” said EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali. Brussels had no information about the veracity of the video, she added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “First of all, the authenticity of these terrible images must be verified. We live in a world of fakes.”
Top Ukrainian officials repeated calls to remove Russia from the UN Security Council, where it is a permanent member.
“It is absurd that Russia, which is worse than ISIS, presides over the UN Security Council,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote.
Russia holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of April.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a political adviser to Zelensky, warned against “attempting to find a compromise with the terrorists”.
Russia had to be isolated from “the rest of the world,” he said.
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