| | | In early March, Ukraine’s Special Operations Command said Russian artillery would no longer be captured and shown mercy, but “slaughtered like a pig”…
There are many indications that war crimes are being committed on both sides of the war in Ukraine.
Thousands of Russian soldiers are believed to have lost their lives during the invasion of Ukraine.
Many have been killed in fighting, but according to a Danish soldier in Ukraine, the Ukrainians are also killing captured Russians, even though it is against the laws of war.
The outrage in this war has gained new dimensions
Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl, military researcher at the Defense Academy and expert in international law
The soldier, Jonas, has voluntarily traveled to the country, where he is fighting on the side of the Ukrainians in the war.
- I have heard about one successful prisoner exchange, and that is it, he says to TV 2.
- People are being killed.
'Jonas' is not his real name, but as he is still in Ukraine, he appears here in the article anonymously for the sake of his safety. TV 2 is aware of his identity and has seen evidence that he is in Ukraine and that he is part of the Ukrainian army.
'Jonas' is trained in the Armed Forces and has experience as a sniper. Photo: Private photo
Talked to Russians before his death
The Danish soldier himself claims to have killed a large number of Russian soldiers as part of the war. But he stresses that he himself has not participated in the killings of captured Russians.
However, he has spoken to several of them when they were still alive, he says.
In particular, he remembers a mere 18-year-old Russian who told Jonas that he worked as a computer programmer at home in Russia and that he did not want to be part of the war in Ukraine at all.
The Dane will not tell what else they were talking about.
- But the following morning he was buried, says Jonas.
TV 2 can not confirm that the war crimes, as Jonas describes, have taken place, but earlier in the war, similar accusations have been made against the Ukrainian army.
In early March , a statement from Ukraine's Special Operations Command said that Russian artillery would no longer be captured and shown mercy, but that anyone contributing to the bombing of civilians would be "slaughtered like a pig".
Executions are war crimesAccording to international law, which aims to protect the victims of war, prisoners of war are protected persons.
It is therefore not allowed to carry out executions without a trial, states Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl, who is a military researcher at the Defense Academy specializing in international law and the laws of war.
- If you put a prisoner of war before a court, you can in principle sentence him to death. But the death penalty has been abolished in all European countries, except Belarus, he says.
It makes no difference that the Russian soldiers have participated in an attack on an independent country.
The moment they have laid down their arms and been taken prisoner, they must be spared, according to international law, Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl explains.
- Then they're out of the fight. There is no exception there, he says.
Videos have attracted attentionAlmost since the beginning of the war, there have been numerous accusations of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers.
Shelling of civilian targets, rapes and killings of civilians and executions of prisoners of war are just some of the accusations that the Russians have faced.
Many of the cases have already been documented and well described, but not decided by the International Criminal Court, which can rule on cases of war crimes.
PERSPECTIVE
Controversy over loss figures
Photo: Valentyn Ogirenko / Scanpix Denmark
There are no official figures for the number of soldiers killed during Russia's invasion.
Ukraine claims that about 18,600 Russian soldiers have lost their lives, while Russia in its latest census reports only 1351 dead. International sources in NATO estimate the real number to be between 7,000 and 15,000 dead Russians.
Russia estimates the Ukrainian casualty rate at 14,000 dead soldiers, while Ukraine itself set it at 1,300 in its latest announcement.
But there have also been accusations against the Ukrainian army in the past.
From several sides, there has been criticism that the Ukrainians have published pictures of Russian prisoners of war, even though it is against the rules of war.
In late March , a video caused a stir when it apparently showed Russian captured soldiers being shot in the knees by Ukrainian forces.
Several accusations abound on social media today.
Among other things, TV 2 is aware of a video that claims to show Russian soldiers being shot in the head after being captured. Some of them have their hands tied on their backs. The New York Times writes that they have been able to verify that video.
Russia denies that Ukraine will investigateThe accusations against the Russian as well as the Ukrainian army do not surprise Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl, as experience has shown that war crimes on both sides occur in all major conflicts.
- But the outrage in this war has gained new dimensions, and the scope will probably not decrease, but only increase, he says.
At the same time, the Danish expert points out a number of significant differences between Russia's and Ukraine's actions in the war.
On the one hand, the Russian war crimes seem to be so extensive that a degree of systematics emerges. On the one hand, Russia denies everything, even though the country has a duty under international law to investigate whether the accusations are correct and to prosecute.
Conversely, Ukraine has volunteered to investigate previous allegations of war crimes committed by Ukrainian soldiers.
- Ukraine is well aware that they have a tailwind in the sails for the international community, so in the long run they can not stand that their own soldiers commit war crimes. Nobody wants to support it, says Kenneth Øhlenschlæger Buhl.
According to the Ukrainians , about 600 Russian soldiers have been captured since the beginning of the war. |
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