A Ukrainian prisoner of war who was shot in cold blood saying “Glory to Ukraine” in front of Russian prisoners of war was hailed as a martyr.
In footage shared on social media, a man is seen smoking a cigarette in a forest glade while a Russian gun is pointed at him.
In his final moments, he defiantly said “slava Ukraini” (Ukraine’s war motto) before being shot dead in repeated gunfire.
“You are B—. Die, b—,” the perpetrator said in a video Kiev said. Russian war crimes.
Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, said: No one can hide from her. she finds everyone ”
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on the International Criminal Court to launch an immediate investigation into the footage.
It is unclear where and with whom the Ukrainian soldiers were fighting when they were captured.
The unnamed soldier’s apparent death is widely shared by members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as he is hailed as a hero by his fellow troops.
The Telegraph was unable to immediately confirm the footage.
Kiev intelligence had previously warned that Russians had been ordered to kill Ukrainian prisoners of war, a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
Came as Evgeny Prigozhin. Russian mercenary boss ‘sent a truckload of champagne’ Created for Ukrainian women in Bakhmut, she marked International Women’s Day with a social media stunt.
The Kremlin-connected tycoon shared footage of him helping load sparkling wine into trucks as his combatant wagner group Appeared on the brink of victory in the eastern city.
Wagner captured the Bachmut Champagne winery and the Siniato enterprise in the eastern part of the city in December.
His exaggerated claims came when Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were likely conducting a “limited tactical withdrawal” from the besieged salt-mining town in the Donetsk region of Donbass. came out to
Moscow forces gain new positions in eastern, northern and southern Bakhmut A Russian military blogger reported on Sunday.
It was also claimed that Wagner’s forces were pushing Ukrainian forces back into the center of Bakhmut, a sign that Russian forces were about to encircle the city.
Vladislav, 27, a Ukrainian fighter wounded in recent fighting in Bakhmukt, told The Telegraph: side.
“The situation is very difficult. Our companions are real lions, fighting for every centimeter of their land.
“They first [the Russians] They did not save ammunition at all, they literally shelled us with iron, but now it became difficult for them, they were in short supply, so they began to use it more sparingly. But it was always hell, first and now. It’s getting harder now, but the guys on the defensive are real giants. ”
recently, Ukrainian army guarding the city They complain that they lack the supplies to keep the city defended against countless waves of ill-prepared and poorly trained Russian troops.
Mortars are rapidly running out of ammunition and have to use weapons dating back to World War II, while reconnaissance units don’t have enough drones to provide a significant overview of the battlefield. .
“The mortars could be hitting us for three hours. We are waiting for support, but there is no support,” said Serhiy, a Ukrainian soldier guarding Bakhmut.
“They say just wait because we can get help in 30 minutes to an hour. We have been waiting for 7 hours and no help.
They both make their jobs more difficult due to the lack of artillery support and infantry fighting vehicles such as those recently donated by the United States and Germany.
Video analyzed by military experts confirmed Ukrainian army destroys railway bridge across the Bakhmutka River to prevent further movement of Moscow troops to Bakhmut after a video of the incident was widely shared on social media.
Ukraine may also be preparing to establish a new front on the west bank of the river, according to the latest assessment by the War Research Institute, a US-based think tank.
“Ukrainian forces are likely conducting a limited tactical withdrawal in Bakhmut, but it is still too early to assess Ukraine’s intentions regarding a complete withdrawal from the city,” it said.
“Bakhmut’s defense of Ukraine is strategically sound, as it will continue to consume Russian personnel and equipment unless the Ukrainian military incurs undue casualties,” the think tank added.
Officials in Kiev denied that Ukrainian forces were withdrawing, insisting they would withdraw from Bakhmut only if necessary.
However, the fight over eastern cities appears to have reached a climax, with Ukraine gradually making concessions to Russia in the region.
The brutal street fighting and trench warfare resulted in heavy losses on both sides in the single longest battle between Kiev and Moscow since World War II.
Boris, a Ukrainian medic, told the Kiev Independent that of the 500-strong battalion he traveled to Bakhmut in December, only 150 soldiers remained.
“When you get into a position, your chances of coming out of it (alive) aren’t even 50/50,” added Serhiy. “It’s like 30/70.”
Prigozhin as Wagnerian forces lead the Russian attack on Bakhmut on Sunday said his army was running out of ammunitionin a video, asked his followers if the shortage rested on “regular bureaucracy or betrayal.”