Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna told the Associated Press on Nov. 20 Ukraine would open an investigation into a viral video allegedly showing Ukrainian soldiers opening fire on captured Russian prisoners.
According to Stefanishyna, it is “highly unlikely” that the short redacted excerpts show what Moscow claims.
The Kremlin accused Ukrainian servicemen of shooting captured Russian servicemen, but a slow-motion version of the video shows a hidden shooter behind them, possibly meaning that they feigned to surrender.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, said that Russians had committed a war crime by using the staged surrender of prisoners. In such a case, they cannot be considered prisoners of war, but those fighting, he argued. Lubinets didn't provide any further evidence.
Stefanishyna said the Ukrainian military is “absolutely not interested in executing anyone” and has a direct order to take “as many prisoners of war as possible” to be exchanged for Ukrainian soldiers in Russian captivity.
Stefanishyna said Ukraine had “no problem” with an international investigation.
