Ukraine: Zelensky blasts Russian ‘beasts’ over beheading video of prisoner
- The emergence of the disturbing footage has sparked outrage in Ukraine and around the world
- It is not clear when or where the video was filmed – authorities are trying to identify the victim
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday denounced Russian “beasts” after a video appeared to show the beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner, prompting international outrage.
The emergence of the disturbing footage, which was unable to be independently verified, sparked fury in Ukraine, with Kyiv saying Russia is “worse than ISIS” – a reference to Islamic State group.
The European Union pledged to hold war criminals to account, while a UN mission in Ukraine said it was “appalled”.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine also pointed to another video that is spreading online, saying it “shows mutilated bodies of apparent Ukrainian POWs”.
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It was not clear when or where the video was filmed. Ukrainian authorities said they were trying to identify the victim.