A video depicting the decapitation of a Ukrainian prisoner of war was first published online on 11 April 2023, and then circulated through pro-Russian sources.
[3][4] In the video, a man is lying on the ground, dressed in a military uniform, which has a yellow band on the sleeve, used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
[10] Proekt considers the video the most brutal of the war in Ukraine and emphasizes that in the past such executions were carried out only by members of the Islamic State.
[15] Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said that the identity of the perpetrators is already known but that it could not be revealed yet.
[13] Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak wrote a phrase on Telegram that most likely refers to this event: "There will be an answer and responsibility for everything."
[19] In April 2023, Wagner PMC leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin stated “It’s bad when people’s heads are cut off, but I haven’t found anywhere that this is happening near Bakhmut and that Wagner PMC fighters are participating in the execution.”[8] The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine expressed outrage at “particularly horrific videos”, emphasizing that these are not isolated cases.
[20] EU Foreign Service spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said that if the video's authenticity is confirmed, it will become another brutal reminder of the inhuman nature of Russian aggression.
[20] The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, also reacted to the video, saying that the EU will do everything possible to ensure that responsibility and justice defeat terror and impunity.
[20] Deputy Chairman of the Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckardt said that the video is yet another proof of the brutality of the Russians, and those responsible for numerous war crimes must be held accountable.
[21] Council of Europe Secretary General Maria Pejcinovic Buric condemned the inhumane treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink also said that the brutality of the Russian troops is becoming more obvious with every day of the invasion, and such acts will not go unpunished.
[21] Czech President Petr Pavel said, "If the video is genuine, it puts the Russian military on par with the Islamic State.