Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
MOSCOW, SANA- Russia urges international organizations to condemn the execution of Russian prisoners of war by Ukrainian soldiers and to conduct a thorough investigation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Friday.
“We demand that international organisations condemn and thoroughly investigate this shocking crime. No atrocity committed by Ukrainian military units will remain unpunished. All those guilty and their accomplices will be identified and punished accordingly. Nobody will escape retribution,” the Russian diplomat said, commenting on the video showing Ukrainian soldiers “mercilessly shooting unarmed Russian POWs,” which has gone viral on the Internet.
“These shocking videos are further evidence of the crimes committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Ukraine is flagrantly violating international humanitarian law, specifically the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and international human rights laws, including the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” she said.
Zakharova went on to say that Russia has repeatedly drawn the attention of the international community “to Ukraine’s cruel and inhuman treatment of detained Russian military personnel.”
Ukrainian militants regularly disseminate videos showing how they murder, torture, humiliate and beat people, she said.
“Without any embarrassment, Ukrainian neo-Nazis showed their “exploits” for everyone to see. These videos will make your blood run cold – they shoot tied up soldiers in the legs, disrespect the bodies of the dead and shoot unarmed soldiers and civilians. They have even shared footage of tanks crushing people alive. Foreign mercenaries also took part in these atrocities, like the cutthroats from the Georgian Legion that barbarically shot imprisoned Russian paratroopers outside Kiev last March,” the spokeswoman said.
“The collective West that supports Kiev totally paid no attention to these numerous facts. Such approval by the US and European curators makes them accomplices to the crimes committed by the Ukrainian neo-Nazis whom they foster,” she went on, adding that the above-mentioned atrocities were committed not only by Ukraine’s neo-Nazi groups, but by regular troops as well.
“Their commitment to neo-Nazi ideology and actions in furtherance of those principles reveal the criminal essence of the Kiev regime,” Zakharova added.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case over the mass shooting of Russian soldiers by Ukrainian troops. The case was opened on the basis of a video featuring Ukrainian soldiers executing at least 11 unarmed Russian servicemen who were taken prisoner in the Lugansk People’s Republic.
Source: Tass
Hala Zain
