Ukraine identifies soldier in severed head photo, documents Russian war crime
Editor's note: Due to its graphic nature, the editorial team has decided not to publish the footage circulated by Russian sources.
Ukraine has preliminarily identified the decapitated Ukrainian service member whose photos were circulated online by Russian sources, said Artur Dobroserdov, the Commissioner for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances, on Feb. 3.
The photo shows the severed head of a Ukrainian soldier being held, presumably, by a Russian soldier.
The National Police will conduct investigations to clarify the circumstances of the incident, locate the body, and gather further details, Dobroserdov said.
"We urge you to refrain from spreading unverified information and trust only official sources of information," he added.
The National Police has been tasked with contacting the soldier's relatives and investigating the case while Ukrainian authorities are documenting another violation of international humanitarian law by Russia.
The Prosecutor General's Office was informed of the incident as part of ongoing efforts to document Russian war crimes. "Each war crime is thoroughly documented, and the relevant information is transmitted to international legal institutions," Dobroserdov added.
Ukrainian authorities have documented widespread violations of the Geneva Conventions by Russia, including the execution of 177 captured Ukrainian soldiers as of mid-December 2024. Cases of Russian forces decapitating Ukrainian troops have also surfaced in June and August 2024.
The U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported a sharp increase in executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian forces, with 79 executions recorded in 24 separate incidents since August 2024.
Kateryna Denisova
